A veil of emotions
by PrimesSPARROW
Summary: Another of my stories that is being re posted there is slash if you do not like then DON'T read plain and simple Optimus/Barricade - Megatron/Ratchet - Sam/Ironhide - Bumblebee/Leo
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, they belong to Hasbro!

Summary: Revised Sam/Ironhide, Optimus/Cade, Ratchet/Megatron. Bee/Leo

A veil of emotions

Chapter 1 - PAIN

Rock music blared in the cab of a black TopKick; as a heartbroken teen lay on the hood in deep thought. The black TopKick known as Ironhide weapons specialist for the Autobots. He revved his engine louder and louder waiting as patiently as he could, for the human known as Samuel James Witwicky to return inside his cab. Sam slid down off the hood, and started to throw stones making them skip across the water. Ironhide heard the boy heave a heavy sigh, as he turned back toward the Pickup truck. Sam's facial expressions were unreadable at first as his eyes locked onto the TopKick. Ironhide grumbled to himself, as he unexpectedly broke apart gears swiftly turning and spinning into place. The weapons specialist moved toward Sam, and sat down with a THUD. Sam watched him with a profound sadness in his heart. "What's wrong with me, Ironhide; why wasn't my love enough to keep her? What did I do wrong?" Sam asked as he bent down snatching another stone and throwing it. "Maybe I truly am a loser like everyone says I am…." Sam said as his heart just broke in a million different pieces with no hope of ever being put back together again.

Ironhide was the wrong bot for this touchy feely stuff; Sam should have asked Optimus, or Bumblebee or even Ratchet. He was just no good with emotions; now if you asked him about blowing up things, Ironhide would definitely be in his element. He was good at blowing things up and ripping apart Decepticons; that he was always good at. Sam glanced at Ironhide, and wondered, if the massive weapons specialist even cared at all about his broken heart. He knew he had helped both times the Autobots needed him. The second time of course he had been rather harsh with Optimus and regretted it immensely; especially when the Autobot leader died while saving his life. He would never forget those strangled cries of pain he heard that came from Optimus; when Megatron caught Prime in a cheap shot attack. Sam sighed. He realized he made a mistake asking Ironhide to take him for a ride instead of his guardian. "I am sorry, Hide." Sam said softly.

Ironhide looked down at the human boy a frown forming on his face plates. "You're sorry for what, Samuel?" Hide demanded.

"You don't really want to be here listening to me rambling about Mikaela breaking up with me. I know you don't I can sense it, and see it in your optics, and the way you're swirling your intakes." Sam said as Ironhide wanted to say something but he was no damn good with trying to tell anyone how he felt.

Sam looked up at the mighty weapons specialist, and gave him a halfhearted smile. "You can take me back home if you want." Sam replied as Ironhide suddenly transformed into the TopKick and opened his passenger door and Sam got into the vehicle.

Ironhide was fighting with himself the whole time he was driving, this human had risked his life, and he couldn't even help him with his problem. He pulled up at Sam's house, and opened the door for him. "Bye Hide, see ya." Sam said as he started to get out of the TopKick.

"Goodbye Samuel…." Ironhide said as he watched him walk into the house.

Ironhide pulled away, and kept grumping to himself constantly even when he returned to the base. He transformed snapping at everyone he came in contact with. "Hey Hide…" Lennox said cheerfully.

"It is not my fault! I am not all touchy feely, I am about blowing up things not mush!" he yelled startling Lennox.

Ironhide stomped into Ratchet's medical bay as Ratchet and Optimus glanced at him. "Ironhide, what is wrong with you?" Ratchet demanded.

Ironhide glared at Ratchet, and grabbed him by his armor.

"Our human is broken! I can't help him, I want to but I can't; that blasted female broke him! And now, it's like he can't be put back together again." Hide said as Optimus and Ratchet looked at each other.

"Slag it, Ironhide you need to tell him instead of moping about, and barking at everyone you come in contact with." Optimus said.

"Tell him what?" Hide demanded.

"That you care about him!" Ratchet yelled.

Ironhide looked at both Ratchet and Optimus his optics flaring with insecurity. "I…..I…don't care about him, you've both lost your logical processors! He is a human, and I am a mech." Hide snapped.

"You care about the boy don't try to deny it, Ironhide; you were ready to toast Megatron when he killed him in Egypt." Ratchet said.

"So, were and you and you're not in love with him!" Ironhide roared.

Ironhide huffed not liking where the conversation was heading; he hated emotions. He was a weapons specialist, he didn't do mushy. He figured the most apparent reason why he didn't like them was because he didn't understand them. Humans were so difficult to understand, and they didn't live long their fragile shells were so easily damaged. Their bodies also were devastated from the inside with disease; and when that happened Ironhide knew he would be alone and grieve silently. He was not going to be ruled by emotions like humans were, he just wasn't. He grumped and growled privately as he thought of the human female's choice to break up with their human; but so were all the Autobots especially Optimus. He loved the human like his own sparkling; which was why he was so hurt when the boy refused to help him. He has seen their leader at his most vulnerable because of it. Sam was special to all the Autobots not just him. Ironhide remembered the first time he met Sam; how he startled the boy when he showed him his cannons. A rare smile touched the weapons specialist lip plates as his memory banks brought up Sam's face. Ironhide also held a memory he despised back in Egypt; when Megatron killed Sam for however a short time it was. Even now his circuits overheated with red hot rage; and burning hatred more than normal for the sadistic warlord. He had taken two from him than Optimus and Sam without batting an optic. He hadn't seen Megatron kill Optimus, but the damage the aftermath was far too much even for Ratchet to bear. It was true he wanted to rip Megatron apart; he had taken so much from them already Optimus and than Sam. Ironhide was not one to mince words he was more a mech to take action. Now however the action part of him was having trouble; especially when it came to Sam. So, he kept thinking about it; did that mean he had feelings for the human? Or was he simply going through some sort of blasted malfunction?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Taken without warning

Ironhide headed over to the firing range just haphazardly blowing things up; until Optimus silently approached him. "Ironhide, we have been friends for thousands of years and I know when you're troubled, you need to talk to Sam." Optimus said as Ironhide growled.

Ironhide snarled as he ripped into the targets with his cannons trying very hard to ignore his friend's words. "I DO NOT HAVE FEELINGS FOR THAT BOY!" he snarled.

Optimus shook his head and sighed. "Fine, than perhaps for arguments sake, you'll do me a favor and take a drive, and see where you end up. But one thing is for sure STOP THE SLAGGING PMS GRUMBLING OR ELSE!" was all Optimus said as he turned and left his weapons specialist stirring in his words.

Ironhide narrowed his optics. "Fine, I am not having any PMS grumbling." Ironhide growled as Epps and Lennox walked over.

"PMS grumbling…?" Epps asked oddly.

"Humans have PMS Grumblings, which make them angry about things." Ironhide snapped as Epps laughed risking his own neck doing that.

"Do I amuse you, human?" Ironhide demanded.

"Yes, you do; are you aware of what PMS is, big guy?" Epps asked.

"I believe I just told you what it was…." he retorted.

"It's something that only females get NOT MEN or in your case MECH." Epps said as Lennox could not hard it in any longer and burst into fits of uncontrollable laughter.

Ironhide reached down and picked up Lennox and looked directly into his face. "I may be your guardian, but do not make the mistake I will not take action for feeble attempts at mocking me. I will get Optimus back for this too; he was the one who started it first. I have somewhere I must be, so you're all lucky I don't shoot you in your afts." Ironhide said as he put Lennox down and transformed peeling off grumbling about not being a slagging femme and stupid PMS human terms.

"Next time don't miff my guardian, Epps!" Lennox said punching Epps in the shoulder.

"Hey dude, that hurt!" Epps growled.

"It's supposed to hurt it's an ass whooping." Lennox said giving his best Skids impersonation.

…

Sam was in his room lying on his bed playing with the basketball tossing it in the hoop; when he heard those familiar jet engines. He froze for a minute. Than for once he was glad his parents were out; and with the two dogs as well. He jumped up and ran down the stairs yelling for his guardian. "BUMBLEBEE….!" Sam yelled as Bumblebee went for his charge.

Starscream shot missiles like at Mission City at Bumblebee's legs destroying his them in the process. "BUMBLEBEE…!" Sam exclaimed in a panic.

Megatron transformed. He landed on the ground not bothering with Bumblebee his prize was the boy not the Autobot scout. "R…Run Sam….." Bumblebee said painfully as memories from the past hit Sam.

He remembered how this very thing happened to the Autobot leader as he died. "Starscream, let's get our prize." Megatron said as Sam tried to run from the two Decepticons.

Sam ran trying to lead them away from Bumblebee who was already wounded by Starscream's missiles. Starscream grabbed Sam just as the massive black TopKick was arriving. Ironhide couldn't fire at Starscream without hitting Sam; but he could hit Megatron and set off his cannons at the evil warlord. "Do tell my weak brother hello for me…" Megatron snarled as he transformed, and took off.

Ironhide went to Bumblebee's side and sent a private link to Optimus about what happened. Ironhide looked up toward the sky and silently grumped about not being there fast enough. "Hold on, Sam…" Ironhide said more to himself than anyone else.

Ironhide's tightened his metal hands tighter into fist wanting to blast something anything. Once the others arrived Ironhide was fit to be tied his cannons were spinning and heating up. "We have to find Sam, Optimus."

Optimus detected urgency in his friend's voice processor that he never heard before. "We will, Ironhide….."

Ironhide snapped he grabbed Optimus by his armor not really thinking logically he was going by those damn slagging human emotions. "We have to find him NOW!" Ironhide stopped and released his friend and leader was in his grip tightly. "Sorry Prime….."

"You have nothing to apologize for my friend." Optimus said as Ironhide huffed once more and said something low to Optimus and Ratchet who didn't quite catch his words. "What was that, Ironhide?" Optimus asked as Ratchet watched him as well.

"I said you're right there is something affecting me that BOY gave me his cooties, and now I am malfunctioning with those blasted things. Do not laugh either of you not when any of you could be infected with them." Ironhide growled. "We must go get him; while Ratchet takes Bumblebee back to the base." Ironhide said as everyone didn't know whether to laugh or run for fear of Ironhide's wrath.

"This is just as bad as the PSM remark." Epps said.

Lennox balled his fist up and Epps backed away.

"Don't even I am wise to you, Lennox." Epps mumbled.

Ironhide growled low, he would rip Megatron to pieces for daring to touch the human; no one touched what belonged to Ironhide.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Trapped

Sam paced back and forth like a caged animal; which was what pretty much what Megatron thought of him. Megatron and Starscream eyed him with blazing red optics, that burned somewhere between abhorrence and repugnance. Megatron ranked his hatred for this rotten fleshling along with his spiraling hatred for his brother. The fleshling killed him once and also brought back his brother; which allowed for his master to be defeated. This boy would pay dearly for all the trouble he caused him a slow and merciless death would fit this troublesome human. "You're never leaving here, maggot." Megatron snarled. "Your precious Autobots will never find you…"

"Alive anyway…." Starscream said as Megatron growled at him.

"Did you just interrupt me?" Megatron demanded of Starscream as all he got was silence from Starscream. "You know I hate that, Starscream!" he exclaimed as Barricade came in.

"Looks like your luck finally ran out, Ladiesman217; I think that is perfect for us BAD for you." Barricade snarled as Sam felt his throat tighten up from fear.

Sam glanced from each of the three Decepticons first Barricade, Starscream; and then his eyes settled on the towering Megatron. "Why can't you just leave me alone, Megatron?" Sam asked in a hushed tone that made Megatron smirk.

"I believe I told you once I was going to kill you slowly and painfully. You do remember that, don't you maggot?" Megatron asked as Sam refused to answer his life had sunk beyond bad.

"Optimus will come for me!" Sam yelled suddenly shocking the three Cons, that he had the nerve to raise his voice at them.

Megatron had a sinister smile cross his evil face at those words. "You know maggot, I might have believed that before; but even my weak minded brother might get tired of coming to your rescue constantly." Megatron chuckled maliciously as Sam lowered his head and wondered what kind of game Megatron was trying to play now.

Sam knew he had lost a lot in the last month or so, but he would never lose Optimus and the Autobots. He knew that for sure the Autobots cared and Megatron could say anything he wanted to try and make him think the worst. Sam knew true friendship and that was what he had with the Autobots no matter what this tyrant said to him.

"You can say what you want Optimus and the Autobots are not like YOU!" Sam spat out angrily. "You're an evil tyrant, and Optimus is NOTHING like you and never will be." Sam said as Megatron's clawed hand snaked out, grabbing him, and cutting into his fragile flesh.

"You've got a big mouth, fleshbag." he snarled.

Sam might have lost Mikaela, but he was not going to let Megatron play with his mind not again. "I am not afraid of you!" Sam yelled as Megatron put the tip of his sharp finger near his cheek and slowly cut his cheek.

"I think we can change your mind, maggot." Megatron snarled.

Starscream and Barricade both smirked slightly; as Megatron ran his other finger on Sam's other cheek cutting it. Sam's blood ran down his face as he tried to hold back from crying out. Megatron placed Sam in a cage and put the cage on the arm of his throne; he usually sat in.

Megatron seemed quite pleased with himself; he had the one human who caused him nothing but grief and he intended to kill him slowly and with little mercy as possible. Sam tried to fight it; but unshed tears shined brightly in his eyes. He was scared no matter how brave he pretended to be. He wasn't being picked on by Trent and his friends this time. It was a psychopath warlord, who hated his guts.

The Autobots knew about his kidnapping; so they would patrol to find the Decepticons lair of that he was certain. Optimus wouldn't rest until he found him he knew that; but how long that would take Sam wasn't sure. Megatron looked down at the boy and felt quite pleased with himself; that he had one up on his brother.

Sam looked away he wanted to be anyplace but here he knew Megatron would torture him and kill him. Sam knew that as sure as he was sitting here; Megatron would never pass up a perfect chance like this. Sam reached a shaky hand toward his one cheek as he felt blood trickle down his face. Starscream knelt down and looked at the boy narrowing his optics at him. "Let me have him first, Lord Megatron." Starscream said in a tone he had never heard the Seeker use before.

"Very well, have your fun; but DO NOT kill him. That means he has to last Starscream so if you fail to listen to me I will KILL YOU, understood?" Megatron demanded.

"Yes, my Lord." Starscream mused as he took the cage and Sam into his quarters.

Barricade watched as several other Decepticons came in Shockwave, Soundwave and several others as Megatron gave them orders to have carried out. Megatron usually took out his frustrations on Starscream; but for some perverse reason he was enjoying taking his anger out on Barricade. When Barricade offered to train the new arrivals he was rewarded with a nasty injury to his left optic and nasty dents on his armor.

Barricade was heading for his quarters when he stopped and heard the screams from Sam. Barricade narrowed his good optic and headed for his quarters and tried to repair his dents and optic. He suddenly heard another piercing scream from Ladiesman217; and he rose to his pedes heading for Starscream's quarters. He reached the door and let himself in and saw Ladiesman217 lying on Starscream's examining table. He was bleeding extensively and groaning. Barricade marched up to Starscream anger burning in his spark for the stupid Seeker. "He is supposed to remain alive, Starscream at this rate you will kill him in no time." Barricade snarled as Starscream realized what Barricade said was true.

"You have some knowledge in being a medic; can you patch him up without Megatron finding out?" Starscream asked obviously fearing for his life.

Barricade had a nasty sneer on his face. "Very well, you owe me big time, imbecile." Barricade said snidely as Starscream just growled.

"Just patch the insect up." Starscream grumbled as he gave Barricade Sam and the cage. "See to it he returns in the cage to Megatron when you're through patching him up." Starscream said as he laid down on the berth and recharged.

Barricade took Sam into his quarters and first cleaned and then stitched up Sam using his holoform. Sam groaned and several times came close to tossing his cookies from his nerves being so frazzled by the abuse. "Why are you helping….M….Me?" Sam asked finally his voice shaky.

"Because for some reason my logic processors are not working properly, do not make me regret this, fleshling." Barricade said as Sam merely curled up hurting and sick.

Sam nodded slowly not caring now all he wanted was for the pain to stop. Sam felt Barricade pick him up and place him in the cage. "Just relax; I need to get some recharge, Ladiesman217." Barricade mumbled as his optics offlined and Sam also surprisingly fell asleep.

000000000000

(Several hours later)

Optimus walked out of the hanger rounded up his men and saw Ironhide pacing as he shook his head. "I got a private com link from someone on the Decepticon base letting me know Sam has been tortured severally by Starscream; but he was stitched up accordingly." Prime said.

"Who sent you the message?" Ratchet asked.

"I am guessing the same one who stitched up Sam is the most logically the one who contacted me. I sent the locations to your….."Optimus never got to finish his sentence as soon as Ironhide revved his engine.

Then once he had the location he was off. "Ironhide wait!" Prime yelled.

:: Ironhide, I am ordering you to return we have to go together::

:: Not this time, sir not when it concerns my human::

:: Ironhide::

:: I am sorry, sir I can't::

Optimus had to hold back from barking orders at Ironhide, who at the moment was being insubordinate. "Let's go transform and roll out!" Optimus ordered.

Optimus prayed to Primus that Ironhide engaged his logic processor before he attacked the base; because he didn't want to lose another soldier and friend to this damnable war like he lost Jazz, Arcee and Flare up.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four – Rescue and pay back

Ironhide drove straight for the Decepticon lair and into the belly of the beast so to speak. He wanted Sam back and didn't care how he went about it; if he had to go through Megatron in order to do it then so be it. He could see the bright red and blue flamed Semi in a distance and knew his leader and the troops weren't too far behind. Ironhide sped up and hit unnatural speeds as he saw his target, a huge abandoned warehouse. He crashed through the wall and transformed before he hit the ground and started to fire his cannons. He saw Megatron and grabbed the tyrant and slammed him against the wall.

"WHERE IS SAMUEL?" Ironhide demanded with snarl.

Before Megatron could answer Ironhide shoved his cannon against Megatron's chest.

"Do not think I won't blow out your spark instead of Optimus doing it; because if that boy is harmed in any way you are DEAD!" Ironhide threatened as Starscream came in with the cage Sam was held in. His weapon pointed at the cage.

"Release Megatron, Autobot or I will blow the human apart and see what his insides look like." Starscream snarled as Megatron smirked until his brother and the others showed up. "Hold it, Prime unless you want your pet to be obliterated. Of course if you want him to die a nasty painful death; I'd be more than willing to help out." Starscream retorted as Prime held his stance but didn't make a move toward Megatron or Starscream.

Ironhide growled but backed away from Megatron in an attempt to save Sam from Megatron's crazy second in command. "Such fools all of you; so willing to protect these disgusting insects which plague this filthy planet and for what?" Megatron demanded as he looked directly at his brother. "One day they will turn on you and serve your sparks on a platter to the scientists of this damnable planet." Megatron said as Prime narrowed his optics at Megatron.

"Our human allies would never turn on us, Megatron." Optimus snarled.

"Really, I am curious as to why you think that; is it because you haven't brought war to their planet? Because correct me if I am wrong but WASN'T it YOUR FAULT the war was brought here to begin with? You let the cube be sent out and it came here to this planet where I crashed; and besides that, a lot of the inhabitants on this planet were killed in the Mission City battle as well. Don't you think they will grow tired of you being here and they will dissect your men especially you brother, the grand leader of the Autobots would make a fine trophy for the humans." Megatron said mocking his own brother who just watched him in annoyance.

Megatron knew his words were like a repeated blast into his spark, deadly aimed and the effect was like a human drug to the Decepticon warlord. Optimus' attention was caught by movement in the shadows and before he could blink his optics a blast hit both Megatron and Starscream both cowards shaken by the turn of events took off like the cowards they were. Ironhide had to run and catch the cage so Sam wouldn't be hurt anymore than he already was. "Sam, are you okay; what did they do to you?" Ironhide demanded scanning the boy and finding his answers which only escalated the Autobot's already foul and bitter mood.

He gently reached into the cage and brought Sam out holding him as gently as he could. He brought Sam close and nuzzled him something that was rather out of character for the gigantic tough as nails weapons specialist; but he was willing to change for this human. "You're safe your home." Ironhide said as he kissed the boy on the cheek.

"Hide….?" whispered Sam as Optimus kept watching the movement in the shadows.

"We need to get Sam to the base and let Ratchet take care of his injuries." Optimus said.

"Optimus, I am sorry I disobeyed you; but I needed to get to the boy." Ironhide said as Prime nodded.

"I understand but we can't afford to lose anymore soldiers, Ironhide." Optimus said as Ironhide nodded and transformed and Optimus put Sam gently into Hide's cab. "Autobots transform and roll out I will catch up." Optimus said as he watched his Autobots leave the Decepticon base. "Who is in the shadows; please come out I know you're there." Optimus said as the last Con he ever expected to help them walked out…Barricade.

Optimus stared in disbelief as the shock trooper walked out and stopped in front of him. Optimus frowned as red optics burned into his blue optics, the leader of the Autobots was completely stunned into silence. It was then that Optimus spotted the shape that one of Barricade's optics was in. Optimus didn't need Barricade to tell him who had done this to him he already knew his brother was infamous for his temper. "What happened to cause Megatron to do this to you?" Prime asked him.

Barricade snorted in disgust. "It's usually Starscream who gets the assault from him but he has been deciding to be generous to me for some reason." Barricade mumbled. "I offered to train the new arrivals and he went— as the humans would say —berserk and went off on me." Barricade said.

Optimus was silent at first as he watched the shock trooper wondering what to make of him. This Decepticon alone was responsible for the deaths of many Autobots on Cybertron but now he seemed so different. "Let me fix your optic, Barricade." Optimus said.

"Since when are you a medic?" he asked.

Optimus just chuckled. "I have many skills you'd be surprised what I can do." Prime said as he took a look at the optic for Barricade.

Optimus was able to repair the optic; while Barricade was silent for a bit as the Autobot leader helped him. Barricade was still silent even after Prime fixed him up and it was obvious why he was. "I need to make a decision about my life I think I already made it when I heard Ladiesman217 screaming. I can't take orders from him anymore and then turn around and get pummeled for no reason. I am a good soldier but I need a reason to fight; a reason to belong other than just destruction it's doing nothing for me anymore." Barricade said as he looked the Prime right in his optics. "I want to join your cause, Optimus; give me a chance to redeem myself in your optics." Barricade said as Optimus nodded.

"Very well, you will have a chance, Barricade." Optimus said extending his servo to the shock trooper.

They shook and transformed and headed for the Autobot base. Optimus radioed ahead and let them know Barricade was with him explaining the situation. Optimus knew there would be a little hostility at the base because of it. He felt Barricade needed a chance to show he could change; he had already helped a few times.

00000000000000000000

Meanwhile in the Autobot medical bay as Ratchet treated Sam, Ironhide was fit to be tied. "How is Sam?" Ironhide asked watching Ratchet treat his human.

"The same as he was the last five minutes you asked." Ratchet mumbled as Ironhide narrowed his optics.

Ironhide's servo snaked out and grabbed Ratchet's infamous wrench and before Ratchet could stop him he swatted Ratchet in the head with it. "Don't be a smart aft no one likes a smart aft." growled Ironhide.

"If you ever do that again so help me Ironhide I will knock you offline so fast it will make your head spin." Ratchet said as Ironhide huffed.

"Lots of luck, Ratch…..." Ironhide said as he reached out for Sam and gently touched the boy's face.

Ratchet glanced down at the gentleness the weapons specialist used with the boy and couldn't suppress the smile. Ratchet knew how gruff this mech was and to show this type of tenderness with Sam was something the medic was so shocked at. Sam was sedated so he really wasn't aware of anything happening and it was actually a good thing especially when Major Lennox and his men came back.

(Outside the medical bay)

When Ratchet and Ironhide saw the expressions on Lennox, Epps and Graham's faces they knew something was dreadfully wrong. Ratchet and Ironhide went outside the medical bay and saw Optimus and Barricade arrive and transform. The others got informed about Barricade's switch to the Autobot cause, but what the three NEST soldiers had news of took precedence over everything. "Where's the kid?" Lennox asked.

"In the medical bay what is it, Major; what's wrong?" Ratchet asked.

Will was silent at first and that was starting to bother the Autobots as Jolt and Sideswipe approached. "We're thinking that Megatron wanted to get even with the kid for his plans being all screwed up." Lennox started to say and then stopped. "They attacked the house we got word and went but we were too late to help them. They found his parents bodies and the bodies of the two dogs also." Lennox said.

"Poor Samuel….." was all Optimus and Ratchet could say.

Ironhide's optics flashed with bitter anger as his cannons heated up. "He's had everything he's ever known taken from him now, he doesn't deserve this." Ironhide snarled. "Slagging Cons, why can't they just leave him alone." Hide grumbled.

Optimus felt like Megatron had blasted his spark all over again, he knew why Megatron would always target the boy. It was his fault. He turned and left the group and walked away with Barricade close on his heels. "Optimus, hold on!" Barricade shouted.

The Prime slowed, and then finally stopped as Barricade approached him putting his servo on the leader's shoulder.

"I know what you're thinking if you hadn't asked Ladiesman217 for his help this wouldn't have happened. This may sound cold but it is not intended that way think about what would have happened had Megatron gotten the Allspark, no one could have stopped him not even you. Megatron would have laid waste to every planet out there including this one just like….." Barricade started to say.

"Cybertron…." was all the Autobot leader could say. "Are you justifying what they did?" Prime demanded suddenly.

"No Prime but there could have been more death if things turned out differently." Barricade said. "Then the Fallen think about everything that human has done to help your cause." Barricade said as Optimus nodded.

Optimus didn't need to say anything else there was an understanding between them that only they could understand. Barricade knew Optimus hated losing any life forces; he took on the burden of every lost life making his spark break a little each time. Barricade realized Optimus was far from weak as Prime's brother often accused him of being; it was quite the opposite really.

He had heard about the forest battle and how Optimus killed Grindor and tore Starscream's arm off and beat his brother senseless. It was only when Optimus was distracted desperately searching for the boy; that Megatron struck stabbing his brother in the back and blowing out his spark. No thought Barricade, Optimus was more of a leader and more cunning and smart then even Megatron himself could ever hope to be.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five – Revelations

Ironhide sat by the Witwicky boy and never left his side, while the boy was recovering. However once Sam was stronger, than Ironhide knew he would have to be told about his parental units. Sam was staring up at Ironhide with a confused expression on his face. "Hide, did anyone tell my parents about what happened?" Sam whispered.

"Sam, I need to talk to you about something." Ironhide said.

"Okay, about what?" Sam asked.

"Sam, after you were rescued Megatron and Starscream attacked your….home and." Ironhide saw the devastated expression which was slowly forming in Sam's eyes.

"My parents are….dead?"

Ironhide lowered his head and offlined his optics for a cycle; and then onlined them and he saw the tears running down his boy's face. "I'm sorry, Sam." Ironhide said softly as the boy clutched urgently onto Ironhide.

Ironhide lifted the boy into his massive hands and tried to console the boy. He held him toward his huge chest and the boy seemed to snuggle closer to the warmth of Ironhide's spark. Ironhide pushed his back against the wall and slid down to the floor still holding Sam who was beside himself in grief. Ironhide had to take his weapons offline he was growing angry by the second. Sam was like a poor whipped animal with its tail between its legs the poor human was beside himself with pain and grief. "Ironhide, promise me you won't leave me….Please." Sam cried as Ironhide just held the boy tighter. "PROMISE ME DAMN IT!" Sam yelled in tears. "I can't lose anyone else I just can't." he cried as he trembled from grief.

Ironhide ran his finger over the boy's back. "I promise you." Ironhide finally said as Sam just shook his head and tightened his grip on Ironhide's armor.

Sam's fingers traced Ironhide's armor slowly as Sam closed his eyes and simply exhausted himself from crying and fell asleep. Ironhide was rather possessive of Sam and didn't let anyone get to him. He got up and headed for his quarters taking Sam's sleeping form with him as several members of NEST and several Autobots including Jolt and the Twins and Sideswipe watched from a distance. "Poor kid, but it looks like he's in good hands." Graham said as they all saw a helicopter land and out of the helicopter came Galloway with a mean disagreeable expression on his face his beady little eyes piercing everyone they came in contact with.

"Where is Optimus Prime?" Galloway demanded.

"I am right here, Galloway; why is it whenever you arrive on base you find it necessary to raise your voice when trying to locate me? I'm in plain sight nor am I hiding I am quite gigantic in size." Optimus said in an annoyed tone.

"Are you hiding one of the enemy's men here?" Galloway demanded.

"We are not hiding anyone he defected to our side and is fighting for our cause." Optimus said.

Galloway didn't seem impressed. "You believe him he's a Decepticon!" Galloway yelled.

"WAS a Decepticon…" Barricade snapped walking up to Optimus' side.

"If he turns and kills anyone it will be on YOUR head, Autobot and trust me if that happens you will give yourselves enough rope to hang yourselves. The president grows increasingly angry with all of you especially with YOU Optimus Prime; he'd sooner hand you and your team over to our scientists for study." Galloway snarled as Optimus to his credit never flinched.

Optimus bent level to face Galloway. "Your government would rather torture allies than work with them is that what your president is saying?" Optimus asked.

"If you screw up or if we are betrayed then yes…..." Galloway said.

"We do not screw up, Galloway; THAT is an all too HUMAN trait and Optimus is our best leader and the decisions he's had to make weigh heavy on his spark." Ratchet growled.

"Do not think for one moment that I do not carry within my spark the deaths of every mech, femme, sparkling as well as the humans who were pulled into our war. I live with that every day I function, so please do not try and act like I feel nothing, I feel everything due to this damnable war my brother has brought on with his greed and power hungry appetite." Optimus said with a snarl as Optimus stood to his full height and took several steps back away from the human and walked away.

"I am not finished with you, Autobot!" Galloway hissed.

"Maybe not but I am finished with you." Optimus said firmly as he walked toward the fences.

Barricade glanced down at the troublesome human if he was his old self he would have either blasted him or squished him with his foot. "You should hold your tongue, human and learn to trust I have no plans of betraying anyone especially Optimus Prime." Barricade said as he went to his leader's side and stood by him almost in a protective stance.

"Well how about that." Ratchet said as he saw how protective Barricade was of their Prime.

Galloway snapped his fingers at the medic and Ratchet glanced down at him with mild amusement. "DO NOT do that." the medic said as he turned and went back into the hanger.

It was actually rather funny no one stayed with the irritating little human even the human members of NEST walked away. "Hey, don't you turn your backs on me and Lennox don't think for one minute I forgot about that little stunt on the plane because I didn't." Galloway said. "No I did not and….. That's right run miserable fools." Galloway grumbled as he headed back for the helicopter and turned his head seeing Barricade with Optimus. "You will all pay! You'll wish you never came to this planet when I am through with you." Galloway mumbled as he got into the helicopter still plotting against Optimus and the others.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Revealing the truth

Ironhide lay on his berth with Sam lying protectively on his chest. Sam was crying the most heartrending sobs; that tore at Ironhide's spark. The weapons specialist as tenderly as he could, ran a finger down the boy's back as he cried. "Shhh Samuel, I'll help you always and…." Ironhide started to say; but stopped when he realized what he was saying.

Sam glanced up at the weapons specialist sniffling and wiping his eyes. "And what, Hide…?" Sam asked wiping his eyes.

"I'll take care of you if you want me too, if you don't mind having an old mech with you." Ironhide said. "You can live here on the base with us…. with me."

"Are you saying you like me more than a friend?" Sam asked as the weapons specialist scanned Sam trying to see if Sam was disgusted by that new turn of events and what he found startled him.

Sam was no way shape or form disgusted by that knowledge as tears ran down the teenager's face; he gripped Ironhide's armor tightly. Ironhide looked at his human as the old bot kept trying to weigh the logics in a relationship with a human. He knew humans had short life spans; but he couldn't deny his strange sensations when Sam was near to his spark. "Yes Sam, I harbor these strange feelings and sensations whenever I am near you; I would like to investigate these strange sensations." Ironhide said as he cycled air through his vents while waiting for Sam's answer.

Sam smiled and that was it Ironhide's spark flared up in a wild chaotic way making the weapons specialist clasp Sam closer to his chest allowing all the rest of his reservations of being with this human fade away. He couldn't deny it any longer he had these special sensations and feelings for a reason. He was supposed to be with this human Primus had arranged this and brought them together, and now he knew why. He cycled more air through his vents to try and cool his rapidly heating systems. Sam curled his hands into several small gaps in Ironhide's armor with a grin that was so cute it warmed the rough weapons specialist spark. Sam let his small fingers stroke and dance along several wires and sensors. This insignificant action no matter how little made the gigantic mech shudder a little bit from such a potent desire. Sam watched as the mech braced himself against the wall and held onto his human. Sam ran his hands over Ironhide's armor as he slowly crept into Ironhide's chest. The weapons specialist offlined his optics as he felt his human inside his chest. Sam went on instincts now as he stood in front of Ironhide's spark and with the upmost care reached out and lightly touched the spark casing. The second Sam's fingers touched his spark casing Hide let out a shaky groan. Sam watched as Hide's spark came alive as long tendrils leisurely rose to life wrapping around the boy's fingers. Sam's body little by little became a raging inferno. It was like electric shocks rushed all through his body. It was the most exotic thing that he ever felt and by the trembling and moans he felt and heard from the weapons specialist; he was faring no better. Sam felt the tendrils from the spark flare with chaos. Then slowly several slid into Sam's chest tightly, while still others wrapped around his hands. The other tendrils attacked his hands making the human fall to his knees as Ironhide's spark tendrils attacked his heart. Sam could see everything when Ironhide's spark attached itself to Sam's heart. He could see the Weapon specialist's past and could feel each and every feeling the mech ever had. He felt loss, anger, hatred, love, regret and fear; everything he felt it all. "Sam….. Oh Primus, those hands!" he exclaimed as one of those tendrils went deeper into Sam's heart.

Sam grinned like a drunken person and threw caution into the air and completely fell into the weapons specialist spark. The action had Ironhide yelling out in complete ecstasy his body arching up as Sam felt his spark's tendrils going all through him.

"Sam, please don't stop." was all Ironhide could say.

"Couldn't even if I wanted to, big guy….." Sam said as he body was immersed in the sparks energy and tendrils making Sam yell out as a sudden bright yellow glow came off the boy; as both boy and mech were pulled closer and bonded together.

Once both the boy and mech overloaded Sam fell asleep and Ironhide fell into a peaceful recharge. Sam having odd dreams that concerned of all things the Allspark, the first Primes and someone called Primus. Sam had heard the Autobots talk about Primus off and on; he knew he was their God but really didn't know too much about him. Sam could feel Ironhide's protective hand over him keeping the boy safe at all times. But all Sam kept seeing were faces of the first Primes until suddenly he saw bright blinding white light. He was abruptly standing in front of the first Primes once more.

"Samuel James Witwicky you will be greatly rewarded for what you have done for our race as will our last decedent." one of the first Primes replied.

"What do you mean by rewarded?" Sam asked.

"What you have desired for so long silently in your heart and soul. Do not be mistaken that we do not hear what your heart cries out for." the Prime said.

Sam glanced down biting on his lip an all too real nervous habit he had.

"I am already happy I have Ironhide now he makes me happy." Sam said.

"Yes, but your inner desire will make that which you already have even more powerful." the Prime said as Sam glanced up at the Primes.

"Alright, what do I do?" Sam asked.

"Nothing Samuel James Witwicky that which is already inside of you will know what to do." he said as suddenly as he was brought before the Primes he was brought back to Ironhide.

Sam opened his eyes, and looked around Ironhide's hand still protectively over him, as the mech recharged. Sam smiled and kissed Ironhide's armor and ran a finger over it.

"Your mine, big guy and I am doing this for you." Sam said as he laid his head down on Ironhide's armor.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Barricade learns the truth

Optimus was in deep recharge when the door to his quarters opened and then locked and a massive shadow lurked over the recharging Autobot leader. A fanged smile crossed over his face as he watched the red and blue flamed bot recharging. Barricade's optics flared hungrily as he continued to watch the Autobot he wanted so badly. He had managed to hide his true feelings from Megatron when he was a Decepticon. Had he known that he held feelings for his brother; well Barricade didn't even want to think about the repercussions of sparkmerging with an Autobot; much less Optimus Prime back then. However now, he was free to sparkmerge with the leader; if Optimus would even do it that is. He ran clawed fingers over the Prime's chassis his optics flaring once more as he did. Barricade was never one for gentleness; he liked roughness and wondered if he could get away with it with the Prime. He grabbed Optimus' servos this naturally made him online very quickly as Bright blue optics met red flaring red ones. "You're MINE." Barricade growled as he held Prime's servos over his head with one clawed hand.

Then gripped the leader's windshield wiper and with incredible force ripped it off Optimus. Optimus quickly struggling from being rudely onlined so roughly was in protective mode ready for battle instantly.

"I am not attacking Optimus I am merely after your spark for something else…" Barricade said as Optimus stilled for a moment digesting those words.

"What…..?"

The Prime grunted, but smirked as he realized what Barricade was up to and found it both arousing and amusing. Mostly because Barricade had no idea just how rough he could be; just because he was the Autobot leader and Prime didn't mean he couldn't match the Ex - Con up with his own wild abandon in sparkmerging. "Yield to me!" Barricade growled as he crushed one of Optimus' headlights.

The action making Optimus' optics shutter and turn purple alerting Barricade he was becoming aroused. "No!" Optimus snapped as he flipped Barricade onto his back crushing the shock trooper's own headlight. "Don't think for one minute I can't take you, Cade."

"Oh, so you want to play rough too okay? You want to go, Prime we can go." Barricade snarled as he deliberately crushed a piece of Optimus' armor in his clawed hand causing both a low moan of pleasure and pain from Optimus, making Barricade smile. "How much pain can you take, Prime?" Barricade demanded.

"As much as you can dish out, Barricade." Optimus remarked as the sneaky shock trooper slid his fingers into open spaces in Prime's armor and found wires and twisted his fingers around those wires and yanked them out.

"YIELD TO ME!" Barricade growled, as his lips found Optimus' biting and pulling on the leader's lip plates, causing Energon to trickle as he bit harder.

Optimus shoved his hand into Barricade's neck wiring, and smirked when he received groans from Barricade, as he pulled on cables and wiring in there. "What's wrong, Cade?" Optimus asked in a snarl as he crumbled a piece of Barricade's armor.

Barricade tried to open the releases on Optimus' chest, and snarled when he realized Prime was going to seriously try, and make him work for it. Once Barricade had something on his processors his intended victim was done for, and in this case Optimus would never be able to stop him from claiming his prize. Barricade forced Optimus' chest plates to open, and when Optimus yelped in pain he smirked. "Told you I wouldn't be gentle….." Barricade said as he looked at the way Prime's chest plates were barely hanging on. "Ratchet can fix you right?" Barricade asked.

"Yes…" Optimus growled. "Will you just shut up and take my spark already." Prime snarled as Barricade just smirked.

There shining greeting Barricade proudly was the Prime's glowing life force.

"There it is….." Barricade whispered.

Optimus felt his fans kick in, his body was on fire and nothing at this point would cool him down. "I will have you completely your body; and now I will have your spark." Barricade vowed as Optimus watched the shock trooper.

Barricade looked down at the beautiful glowing orb; it was way bigger and brighter than his. Optimus was a Prime so naturally everything was bigger on him and he meant everything. "There it is my prize." Barricade said as he first slid his claw inside and caressed the spark making Optimus groan.

Barricade watched the expressions on Optimus' face change as he manipulated the tantalizing spark making electric tendrils dance over his claw. He watched the Prime arch up into his touch. "More….Barricade please…." Optimus moaned.

Barricade smiled as he caressed and manipulated the Prime's spark making it flare up wildly. Barricade saw Optimus' spark reaching sensing another nearby and it damn near came out of the chamber reaching for Barricade's spark. "You're such a slagging tease!" Optimus snarled.

"Oh you want something do you, Optimus." Barricade chuckled as Optimus' optics suddenly shined deep purple; he was beyond aroused and Barricade's ego suddenly puffed up higher knowing he was making the noble Autobot leader beg. "Beg for it, Prime." Barricade ordered as Optimus snarled.

"Don't press your luck, Barricade." Optimus hissed as Barricade slammed Optimus down roughly against the berth seeing the Prime's head hit hard.

"BEG ME!" he ordered.

Optimus onlined his optics and snarled suddenly, even though he was burning for the shock trooper to take him. "MAKE ME!" Optimus made the mistake of saying throwing a challenge in front of the shock trooper.

"You're done for now, Prime." Barricade mused as he continued to play with Optimus' spark.

He let the tendrils curl around his claws; he glanced down seeing Optimus' purple optics turning almost pink at the bottom. He smirked. "You're stubborn, your causing yourself pain now." he mused.

Optimus grunted. "I have withstood a lot of pain in battle, what makes you think I can't handle pain from this?" Optimus blurted out.

"Because this is different from pain in battle and YOU know it." Cade said firmly.

Barricade twisted the tendrils and this had its desired effect on the Prime. "Alright, I yield, please Cade; just do it!" Optimus replied clearly pushed passed his threshold as Barricade chuckled as his chest plates rearranged themselves.

"Gotcha, I believe the humans would say Check mate, I have won this time." Barricade growled as Optimus played with Barricade's spark making it flare out in fiery tendrils.

Optimus smirked, while the shock trooper held him down but against him as he positioned their sparks together. Optimus' spark reached out and wrapped itself around Barricade's spark and the two cried out as emotions one by one were thrust onto the other. Barricade saw and felt everything Optimus had in his memory banks and emotions and it floored him. Optimus felt the pain that Barricade felt about several things and he had no idea the shock trooper had felt that way. Oddly his brother was one of those things that had hurt the shock trooper he saw what his brother had done. It angered Optimus to no end seeing how Megatron treated his men, he wouldn't even dream of treating any of his men like that. Barricade saw for himself how different Megatron and Optimus were they were as different as night and day. Megatron was a killing machine that would stop at nothing to gain power and crush his brother. Optimus was compassionate, but he was also very strong, and did what he had to do in order to keep life forms alive and protected. Megatron had once said Optimus was weak because he cared, but it was just the opposite his compassion wasn't a weakness it was a gift. It was in those few minutes that Barricade had seen the Autobot leader as much more than a leader. He gently wrapped his servos around the bot, and pulled him as close; as he could as more memories came crashing into Barricade from the bond they were creating. Barricade felt Optimus' pain and guilt over all deaths he even took absolutely no pleasure in taking a Decepticon's life. Barricade tightened his hold on Prime needing to be as close as possible to the Prime.

"You belong to me now, Optimus." Barricade said firmly almost in a commanding tone as he heard gears grinding inside of the Prime as both mechs were becoming more and more overheated.

Both mechs reached their overloads at the same time causing them to yell out and both were knocked offline from it.

…..

Ironhide onlined his optics and saw Sam was still asleep; but he also noticed something was odd about the boy. He saw a peculiar glow about his human boy, and when Sam woke up his eyes sparkled and shimmered, with bright blue radiance just like the Autobots, as Ironhide's spark almost went absolutely mad with worry with the way Sam looked now….. Something was wrong with his boy


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Tragedy strikes

Galloway was talking to several men who worked for him; they were expert scientists, and unfortunately were quite excited about capturing Optimus Prime to do experiments on him. "I will bring you the three Optimus Prime, Ironhide and Barricade there is a problem however." Galloway said.

One of the scientists raised an eyebrow and flicked ashes from his cigarette at Galloway. "You said there were no problems that you could deliver this Optimus Prime and the other two without delay." the man said.

"I can it's just the idea of bringing them down without any problems the leader is strong and he might give us a serious problem." Galloway said.

It was then that several Asian men walked in dressed in suits and stood in front of Galloway. The one man opened a briefcase and handed the contents to one of the scientists whose lips curled into an almost malicious smile. "When these creatures are in recharge inject this chemical into their Energon lines. It will work painfully fast they will probably be in agonizing pain but I doubt none of us truly care if they are. Now, understand once we have them they will never leave here alive once our testing is done we will be dissecting them and if they survive that than they will be killed. I would like to try and keep this Optimus Prime alive as long as possible though; he sounds like a rather strong creature; and I would like to see how much he can take without giving in to it. Once you have them bring them to Hoover Dam the same place your Sector Seven group had Megatron in." he said as he started to leave. "Oh and Galloway I'll be expecting these creatures by tomorrow afternoon time is money and we need to learn all we can from these things." The man said as he and the others turned and left the area where Galloway was.

Galloway had made arrangements for his plan to take effect by having it so Optimus, Ironhide and Barricade were the only ones in the base. Of course with all plans they sometimes go askew and Galloway's would be no exception. Galloway's men were surreptitious and found Barricade and Prime in recharge and started to try to inject the chemicals into them. However both mechs were not easy targets and when they onlined they began to fight. "What is going on here?" Optimus demanded as he caught sight of Galloway and the smug look on his face. "YOU….. What is the meaning of this?" Optimus roared as both he and Barricade heated up their guns but found they were stopped instantly.

Several men ran up and sprayed them with liquid Nitrogen which freezes once it hits the air. It was shutting them both down and forcing them both into stasis, while the same thing was happening to Ironhide.

However what Galloway didn't know was Sam and Leo were coming back to the base in Leo's car. "So, you have a relationship with Ironhide now; gotta admit that sounds kind of hot." Leo said. "Can I have your Camaro?" Leo asked as Sam couldn't help but hit Leo.

"Shut it, Leo!" Sam said as he suddenly collapsed to the ground his heart hurting.

"What's wrong?" Leo asked going to his friend.

Sam could see flashes in his mind of Ironhide, Optimus and Barricade in pain and being tortured. He looked up his eyes shining a bright blue as he saw the three robots being moved into cargo planes. "NOOOOOO…! Get away from them!" Sam ordered as he ran up to the men.

Galloway hadn't counted on this little problem arising. "Grab him and shoot the other one!" Galloway ordered as Sam heard him.

"Go back, Leo!" Sam exclaimed as he tried to take cover.

One of the men tried to grab Sam and when he did Sam's hand glowed yellow. He slammed his fist into the man's chest sending the man flying through the air shocking the boy. "Nice trick, Wifficky." Galloway snarled. "Got anymore….?"

Sam narrowed his eyes at Galloway and smirked and did karate kick which connected to Galloway's groin. "It's Witwicky, you piece of garbage." Sam snarled. "Hope you're not planning on reproducing because damn…" Sam said as he looked up seeing the planes take off with the three robots inside them. "NOOOO, where are they taking them?" Sam demanded as he heard a shot and saw Leo blink in surprise as he fell to the ground. "LEO…!" Sam cried just as the others were pulling back in and Galloway realized his time had run out. "How could you, you bastard!" Sam snarled as Galloway smirked while he grabbed Sam.

"Say goodnight, kid." Galloway snarled, as he shocked the boy, as he pulled his own gun out and pulled the trigger.

Galloway pushed Sam away and hurried to his helicopter and it took off. Sam stared at his wound in shock and fell to his knees pain and confusion registering on his face. He had just found out Ironhide cared for him, and now he was going to die without telling Ironhide how much he truly cared for the mech. "SAMUEL…!" Ratchet exclaimed as the medic was by the human's side in a matter of seconds.

"Galloway has….Optimus…Hide…..Cade….." Sam said as he passed out.

Lennox checked Leo and found no pulse. "Leo is gone..." Lennox said as he went to Sam. "Hang on, kid; don't you dare die on us!" Lennox warned.

"We need to get him into my medical bay NOW." Ratchet ordered as the three soldiers gently picked up the boy putting him onto the gurney another NEST soldier went to get.

Ratchet tried to frantically work on the boy that helped them defeat Megatron when they first came to Earth. Then once more when he against all odds fought to get the Matrix to Optimus to revive him and he was killed then too; but by Primus he was brought back along with Prime. Ratchet suddenly scanned Sam and found his blood pressure had dropped and his heart stopped. "No, slag it Sam don't do this!" the medic yelled as he tried as hard as he could to bring back the boy who risked everything for them. "SAM NO…!" Ratchet yelled as Bumblebee made a whining sound similar to when he was captured by Sector Seven. He was crying for his loss of his charge once more.

Ratchet had tried everything, but nothing worked, they had lost Sam. Ratchet walked out of the medical bay and slammed a fist into the wall cursing in Cybertronian. "We lost him I couldn't get him back." Ratchet snarled. "And now our leader and his spark mate and Ironhide are prisoners of Galloway's." Ratchet growled as a black van pulled up to the base and out of the vehicle came Simmons.

"We need to get some group teams ready for a search and rescue mission." Simmons ordered. "I just found out through the grapevine where your leader and the two others are." Simmons said as he looked at everyone. "Did you hear me and where is the, kid?" Simmons asked. "We're going to need his help too."

"The medical bay…." snapped Skids and Mudflap as Simmons frowned and walked into the medical bay finding Sam's body and Leo's on the other berth.

"Awww kid, why'd you have to pull this now; we need you." Simmons said as he shook his head and his rubbed his eyes quickly wiping the tears away and took a deep breath. "Hope you finally find peace, kid." Simmons said as he started to turn and leave but stopped.

Simmons pulled a blanket over both bodies; before going out with the others to help plan the rescue to save Optimus Prime, Ironhide and Barricade.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Spark broken

Galloway watched from secret room that had a one way mirror, so he could watch what was being done without anyone seeing him. The three mechs tried to struggle against the chains, but they were reinforced with Energon, which pretty much left them at the human's mercy. It was then that Ironhide cried out in pain at the loss of his bond mate. "Sam, oh Sam no….." Ironhide whispered as he made a sad whining sound mourning his loss.

"Ironhide, what's wrong?" Optimus asked as he struggled against the chains.

"S…Sam…He is offline; he is gone." Ironhide whispered his old spark flickered wildly, as the weapons specialist tried to come to grips with the loss.

"What, but how can that be?" Optimus asked as his own spark felt the loss at how the boy had sacrificed everything to help him and the others.

It was then that Galloway stepped out into the area and was chuckling as he looked at the three robots. Optimus struggled even more and his anger exceeded even more than usual. He held nothing but contempt for the human, as Galloway walked up and got onto the ladder, so he could heckle the robots even more. Optimus watched as the despicable human approached Ironhide with hateful intentions that were clear.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, human." Optimus growled as several men in long white coats came down the stairs heading to where the three robots were.

Galloway stood staring down at Ironhide the lost look in the Autobot's optics made Galloway snort, and then laugh slightly. "So IT has emotions and feels loss." one of the scientists asked as Optimus and Barricade looked at each other.

: We have to find a way to get out of here, Optimus:

: I know there has got to be a way out of here:

Galloway watched as three long metal arms came down one lined up with each robot as electric pulses rocked each robot. Optimus and Barricade showed nothing no hint of pain nothing; but Ironhide already broken from the loss of Sam was making the most heartrending robotic sounds. Then Galloway made his most deadly mistake ever, when he spoke to the scientists. "This one should be easy to terminate now that I killed his human boy toy." Galloway said with a chuckle as Ironhide's optics flickered with recognition of the words.

"You killed Sam?" Optimus snarled.

"Yes and his buddy; but I think Wifficky held on a little longer then his friend." Galloway mused as both Optimus and Barricade heard the most chilling battle cry from Ironhide as he pulled and struggled until the chains gave way.

To say Galloway was surprised would be an understatement Optimus and Barricade used their back up power and broke their chains as well. The scientists scattered with high pitched girly screams; and Galloway backed up trying to find a place to hide from Ironhide's fury. "YOU KILLED MY HUMAN BOY!" roared Ironhide as fury and pain mixed locked onto his spark, as he slammed his fist down hard squishing the troublesome human. "His name is Samuel James WITWICKY!" Ironhide roared.

Optimus for once in his command didn't stop his weapons specialist from taking vengeance against the human responsible for taking Samuel away from them. They didn't take human lives normally, but this time Galloway had crossed the line taking Samuel's life. Optimus didn't stop his friend from going after Galloway. The massive weapons specialist after disposing of Galloway simply collapsed on the floor sobbing. Optimus and Barricade went to the grief stricken weapons specialist and tried to comfort him. Optimus knew nothing would comfort him though and it saddened him to know that. "He's gone, Optimus…All because of that slagging human!" Ironhide roared as his cannons flared to life.

Ironhide blew up everything in the gigantic room nothing was spared his anger and pain of losing Sam caused the weapons specialist to cause heavy damage. Optimus went to his oldest and dearest friends and tried to calm him down, so they could transform, and get out of holding area they were in. However to his surprise Ironhide even turned on him, and sent a wild punch straight into Optimus' face sending the mech crashing to the ground. Ironhide's optics flashed from brilliant blue to a flash of red from anger and then back to blue as he slowly realized what he had done to his friend.

"Optimus, forgive me." Ironhide said as he extended his servo to his leader and friend.

"No apologies are necessary, old friend; I feel your pain too he was dear to all of us." Optimus said as Ironhide nodded and transformed along with Optimus and Barricade.

The three mechs sped back to the Autobot base and everyone was surprised to see the mechs had escaped on their own. Ironhide really wasn't listening to any other Autobots or any of the humans. He went to Ratchet his optics pained as he spoke to the medic. "Where is he?" Ironhide asked.

Ratchet merely nodded and turned toward the medical bay and the weapons specialist followed. Ratchet slowly pointed to the covered berths and let his friend be alone to pay his last respects to beloved human. Ironhide pulled back the blanket covering Sam's body as the tough as nails bot started to blink as he was reduced to tears. "Sam….. You gave this old bot something to hold onto in this slagging war that has taken so much from us already." Ironhide said as he ran a finger over Sam's body and looked suddenly at the red liquid on his finger. "I took his life he who had the nerve to take you from me. I took his life for his daring to take you from me you belonged to me." Ironhide whispered as suddenly the ground started to shake. "What nonsense is this now?" Ironhide demanded as he rushed out into the hanger and saw everyone was acting normally.

"Hide…?" Lennox said as he wanted to go to his comrade, until Epps stopped him in his tracks.

"He's grieving man, let him go." Epps said as Optimus went over to Ironhide.

"Ironhide…?" Prime said.

"The ground was shaking in the medical bay I felt It." he said as he saw the strange expressions on the other's faces. "I am not malfunctioning I felt it!" he roared as suddenly everyone heard the loud crashes in Ratchet's medical bay.

Everyone ran into the medical bay and to everyone's horror; the two berths where Sam and Leo's bodies were split in two and the bodies were gone!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 New Arrivals

Two meteors were hurtling toward Earth, leaving a fiery trail behind them. They landed in a field making massive holes in the ground and slowly they started to change. They looked around the one smiling wildly the other mildly annoyed as it looked at itself. "What happened and what are we?" a robotic female voice said as the smiling protoform smirked. "What?" the femme said as she looked down at herself. "Oh no man, you sucked me into your world now and I am a damn chick!"

"Femme Leo, you're a femme." Sam said as he felt his spark race wildly.

"No man, that's not right!" Leo sputtered as he let out one of his famous screams which somehow Sam knew he would do.

"You said you wanted to be with my Camaro." Sam said looking for a vehicle form as he was being led by Primus now. "Come on, follow me." Sam said.

"I don't get it why are we back we were dead, weren't we?" Leo asked.

Sam was walking away and Leo trudged along with him hating being a femme, and knew big alien robot Gods had a wicked nasty sense of humor. Sam saw an awesome looking pick up that was black with lightning bolts on it. Sam smirked and scanned it and transformed and revved his engine waiting for Leo to follow his lead. "This is so embarrassing." Leo mumbled as he looked around at the different vehicles and decided on a golden Z-28. "Where are we going anyway, do you even know how to get back to the base?" Leo asked.

"I am not sure I think so." Sam said as Leo mumbled and transformed back into robot form.

"This is so worse than getting tasered." Leo said as Sam transformed and started cracking up all of a sudden. "What the hell is so funny?"

"You man, you so have to change that name you're a femme now." Sam said.

Leo crossed her arms and rolled her optics. "Oh really and to what name pray tell?" Leo asked as she saw something glowing on Sam's wrist. "What is that?"

Sam looked on his wrist and smiled. "That will hopefully bring back Cybertron; it's a smaller version of the Allspark. Only I can use it Primus instructed me when we were hurtling through space; of course there is dealing with Megatron and Starscream before we can even begin." Sam said as Leo rolled his eyes still angry over being made a femme.

…

Ironhide suddenly felt a strange pull in his spark like he did when Sam was near and he suddenly transformed and took off. "Ironhide, where in the pit are you going…?" Ratchet demanded as everyone transformed and followed the distraught TopKick.

"Don't let him out of your optics!" Optimus ordered as everyone followed Ironhide.

….

Meanwhile Sam was watching Leo pace back and forth muttering to herself; while Sam just snickered. "Yo not funny this God of theirs is not funny he is quite annoying." Leo mumbled.

"Hey, don't knock him he gave you life back, Leo." Sam said. "You have got to come up with a new name I am NOT going to call you Leo all the time."Sam said as they saw vehicles. "TRANSFORM NOW!" Sam ordered and Leo followed his lead as Sam suddenly saw the familiar black TopKick and his spark raced. "It's Ironhide….." Sam said, as he transformed and walked toward Ironhide who transformed and looked at the transformer in front of him ignoring the femme.

Ironhide approached the mech without caution, he didn't know how but he knew this mech was Sam. "Sam….. You are Sam, aren't you?" Ironhide asked as Sam sprang onto the weapons specialist as energon tears clung to Sam's optics.

Optimus and the others stood frozen as well as NEST and Simmons no one could talk but Sam. "This was my secret desire to be like you guys and the Primes and Primus made my desire come true. He also gave me the ability to bring back Cybertron with this." Sam said as he lifted his servo and all the Autobots realized what it was on his wrist.

"That's the Allspark?" Barricade asked.

"A smaller version yes but only I can work this gadget on my wrist it will bring the whole planet back to the way you remembered it to be." Sam said as Ironhide held him tightly as Optimus dropped to his knees as he realized what this meant.

"Okay, so that's Sam but who's the femme?" Skids asked his brother.

"That's Leo…" Sam said as Skids and Mudflap burst out in crazy laughter.

"LEO, she's ours!" the twins exclaimed as Leo backed away.

"Keep those two weird ass robots away from me!" Leo yelled.

"Weird ass robots, have you looked in the mirror lately, Leo?" Epps and Lennox chimed in with a snort of laughter.

"Naw see, that's not right….!" Leo mumbled as Ironhide never took his optics off of Sam.

"You are back with me Primus sent you back to me." Ironhide said as he just held Sam tighter as the others watched smiling.

Skids and Mudflap decided to have their own fun by chasing after Leo. "GET HER…!" Skids ordered as Mudflap went after Leo too.

"Oh shit, nonononono GET AWAY you sex craved twins!" Leo exclaimed. "HELP ME, SAM!" Leo shouted as Sam wasn't really interested helping Leo he had what he wanted and that's all he needed.

…

Sam was vaguely aware of Leo's protests as the twins had finally caught up to her at the base. Sam was with Ironhide in his quarters as Ironhide ran a servo over Sam's new robotic body. The expression in the weapons specialist's optics was a mix of mass emotions all splashed together. "I thought I lost you, it was the worst feeling in my spark. I felt like I was going to go offline and I really didn't care at that moment." Ironhide said as Sam held onto him.

"Galloway didn't hurt you, did he?" Sam asked.

"Not physically, but, it hurt me when he killed you." Hide said as he continued to run a servo over Sam. "So, that was your secret desire to be one of us, a true Autobot and the first Primes and Primus granted that desire. That doesn't explain Leo and why he was returned and as a femme, no less." Ironhide said as both he and Sam heard the wild screams of the femme.

Sam smiled and just held onto his mech tighter not really caring why Leo was brought back as a femme. "Well now, Samuel you have a spark now which means, I would like to make it completely official." Ironhide said.

"Really and by official you mean?" Sam said his optics dilating from need as he teased the weapons specialist.

Sam saw the gruff and tough weapons specialist optics twitch as wetness slid down from his optics. "I need to and want to, merge my spark with you, I came too close to losing you. This old mech couldn't take that, you know; I ….." Ironhide started to say but fell silent as Sam reached for the mech's face.

"It's okay, you can tell me." Sam urged.

"I…..I love you, Sam." Ironhide said as Sam's servo's wrapped around Ironhide's neck and he kissed the weapons specialist wildly.

Sam pulled back and glanced at Ironhide with an expression in his optics that was unreadable to the weapons specialist. "What are you thinking about?" Hide asked.

"Well, I know you are rough and there is no reason why you should be gentle. Well, now that I am no longer human." Sam said as Ironhide felt himself grow all the more overheated as those words of encouragement rolled out.

"Do you realize what you're asking?" Hide asked.

"Yes, I do and I am okay with it." Sam said as Ironhide huffed.

Ironhide smirked and pushed the newly made Autobot down onto his back as he tapped on Sam's chest.

"Open up, little bot…" Hide ordered as they suddenly heard another wail of screams from Leo. "Who says Primus doesn't have a sense of humor?" Hide continued.

"Yeah who….?" Sam asked as he allowed his chest plates to open up for the weapons specialist exposing his spark.

Ironhide watched the quivering orb and reached into the bot's chest and caressed the glowing orb making Sam arch up and moan. Sam had never felt anything quite like that of Hide, him caressing his spark so. Sam watched as Ironhide's chest plates opened on their own accord and he slipped his servo inside of Hide's chest. He found his spark and caressed it, exciting the orb and watched as the tendrils flared up wildly. "Sam….." Ironhide moaned, as Sam allowed his spark to wrap around Ironhide's, tightening its hold on the weapons specialist.

Ironhide was beyond excited as he held the bot tightly; their sparks send unmistakable data into their memories.

They were able to feel what each other felt. Sam saw the feelings Ironhide had experienced once he found out that he had died. Sam also discovered the killing of Galloway and to his surprise Sam didn't have a once anger or negativity towards what had Ironhide had done. Sam held nothing but contempt for Galloway and didn't blame Hide for killing Galloway. Sam simply caressed the mech's face as Hide's azure optics never left his.

"I love you, Ironhide." Sam whispered as the mighty weapons specialist shuddered at Sam's words.

"I love you too, Sam." Hide said while their sparks both tightened and both mechs were overheating beyond their fans capacity to cool them down.

When their overloads hit max, both mechs off-lined; when they were completely satisfied, for the moment that is.

…..

Leo had managed to escape the twins and hid in Optimus' quarters; which was not a good idea with Optimus and Barricade trying to have some private time.

"What are you doing?" Optimus asked the newly made femme.

"Hiding from the twins…" Leo said.

"Have you found a suitable name yet?" Barricade asked.

"I am not sure, all I know, is that I'm Leo."

"You're a femme now you surely cannot go around calling yourself "Leo"." Optimus said.

Leo snorted with disgust at Optimus.

"Why didn't Primus bring me back buff, like Sam anyways?" Leo complained.

"Be glad he brought you back at all." Barricade said.

"Point taken….." Leo said.

"How about Goldenlight…?" Prime said as Barricade smirked, and laid a servo on his spark mate.

"Goldenlight….?" Leo mused.

"Affirmative, it's a proper name, don't you think so?" Prime asked.

"Goldenflower….." Barricade mused even further, Optimus trying to hold back a chuckle which only sounded more like a veiled cackle.

"That sounds too …" Leo started to say.

"It sounds too what, girly?" Barricade asked as Leo looked down at herself.

"Oh right, I forgot, I'm a girl now." he mumbled.

"You're a femme there is a difference." Optimus said as the twins forced their way into their leader's quarters.

"There she is, come on little femme. You don't want us to come get you, now do you?" Skids said.

"Prime, you have to help me!"

"No, Goldenlight, or Goldenflower, whichever name you prefer." Prime said as, Leo crossed her arms and stood her ground.

"I AM NOT I REPEAT! I REFUSE TO GO WITH YOU!" Leo yelled.

"That's what you think….." Skids said as he saw his twin maneuver his way behind the femme until he was able to grab her.

"Okay the three of you must take this out of our quarters now." Optimus said as the twins left with their prize.

"Our quarters…?" Barricade asked as Prime glanced over at his spark mate.

"Yes, our quarters like you belong to me and I belong to you." Prime said, Barricade smirked, his fangs showing.

"I like the idea of you belonging to me, so I can virtually do whatever I want with you, huh?" Barricade asked.

"Within reason, yes….." Optimus said as he watched the hunger burning in Barricade's bright red optics.

Optimus knew he couldn't escape that look, not that he really wanted to. Barricade had something about him that made the Autobot Leader, utterly fall to his knees.

….

Megatron paced back and forth in deep thought as Starscream continued his story about the news that Soundwave had uncovered.

"So, the Witwicky boy is dead, Soundwave is positive about this, correct?" Megatron asked in an unsure tone.

"Yes, he believes so." Starscream answered.

"I killed him myself and he came back to life as did my retched brother, both seemed to escape death!" Megatron growled as he saw a strange expression cross Starscream's face. "Why do you have that ridiculous look on your face? Remove it!" Megatron growled.

"I cannot remove my face, my Lord." Starscream mentioned as Megatron wondered why he surrounded himself with such insolent fools. "Soundwave has contacted me once more." Starscream said as he seemed to be skidding around something.

"What is the matter? Starscream, tell me what he reported to you!" Megatron barked.

"Apparently two very new Autobots landed on earth, a mech and a femme." Starscream quietly mentioned once again.

"A femme….? Why should my brother get all the femmes on his team? We will have this new femme and keep her for ourselves and when I say "ourselves" I mean ME, understood Starscream!" Megatron yelled once more.

"Yes Megatron…" Starscream grumbled as he wondered why he bothered at all with Megatron, nothing he did ever pleased his leader. Sometimes Starscream yearned for the days before the war.

He missed their home; he missed the way things used to be before this slagging war, before Megatron's rule and wondered if things would ever be the same again.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 Bumblebee's choice & Surprise packages

(Nellis air force base, NV)

Leo hadn't like either one of the names that Prime or Barricade picked, so she figured he would choose another later. She unfortunately had other worries at the moment, the two crazy twins were gunning for her and none of the other Autobots were helping her. They chose instead to laugh at her predicament thinking it was quite humorous.

Bumblebee was pulling into the base; he transformed seeing the new femme running from the twins. He stomped over grabbing Skids and Mudflap and banging them together, then threw them onto the ground with a loud clank. "BUMBLEBEE, THAT WAS HARSH!" the twins exclaimed.

"Be nice to femmes, femmes special." Bumblebee replied as he turned toward the shaking femme. "Are you okay?" Bee asked as she nodded her optics wide with her growing crush on the Autobot scout. "I'm Bumblebee…."

"I know who you are, I'm Leo Sam's friend." she said, as Bumblebee tilted his head like he was trying to figure out what was going on.

"Leo….?" Bee asked his optics widening. "Is Sam back too?" Bee asked.

"Yeah, he's with Ironhide." she said as Bumblebee went over to Leo tapping her chest area. "Hey, stop that!" Leo grumbled as a sound that suspiciously like a snicker robot style escaped Bumblebee's voice processor.

Bumblebee picked up the femme making her squeal at first, then smile wildly as Bumblebee ran his finger down her face. "I like you, but we have to change that human name into Goldbug. Do you approve?" he asked.

"Yes, I do." she replied as she wrapped her servos around his neck.

Goldbug planted a kiss on his check, while she caressed his other one. "I cared about you for a while, bet you didn't know that?" Goldbug asked as Bumblebee seemed shocked.

"While you were human, you liked me?" Bee asked in an incredulous tone.

"Yes, I thought you were cool; I know I was a pain when we were after the Matrix. You were so loyal, and had so much courage; you did what you had to do. I was a chicken shit with my little girl scream, and now I am a girl." Goldbug replied with a little laugh as Bee watched her.

"Femme….. You're a femme." Bee said as he nuzzled her. "I did what I had to do my leader was gone, I had to protect my charge, and do what he would've wanted me to do." Bee explained.

"I know and now looking back at it, you took charge and that was…" Goldbug started to say.

"What….?" Bee asked.

"It was a turn on seeing you like that, even though I was screaming like an idiot. I heard how you protected Sam and his family also from that those two Cons." Goldbug said.

"Yes Rampage and Ravage, I killed them both." Bee said.

"My courageous bot…." Goldbug replied before she realized what she had said.

Bumblebee started to head to the far end of the base with Goldbug; While Sideswipe and Jolt watched smirking.

"Bumblebee hasn't lost his touch with the femmes, even human based ones." Jolt mused.

"His cute and perky ways always win the femmes; you know that as well, as I do." Sideswipe said as he inspected his lethal blades.

(Hidden part of the base)

Bee held onto Goldbug as she laid in his servos running her fingers over his chest plates. Bumblebee knew it was sudden, and he also knew he might scare Goldbug away if he rushed things. But after Optimus' brief offlining last year he never took anything for granted any longer not anymore.

"Goldbug…?" Bee said.

"Yes Bee, what is it?" she asked.

"I want to ask you something, it's very important to Me." he replied.

"Okay, what is it?" she asked sitting up, but still snuggled against him.

"Would you consider being my mate?" Bee asked. "I know its quick, but I don't ever want to wait and not say what's on my processors." he replied, as she smiled and wrapped her servos around his neck making him fall to the ground.

She kissed his face constantly making him watch her with wide optics. "YES, of course!" she exclaimed.

"We shall seal it with merging our sparks together as one." he said as Goldbug didn't hesitate.

She gently pushed Bumblebee onto his back, and felt his servos hold her against him. Bee opened his chest plates and watched as hers opened as well. Bee's spark gently flared as her fingers played with his spark making the little scout moan. Bumblebee caressed her spark letting the tendrils wrap around his fingers, then suddenly the little scout couldn't take it. He needed her spark around his, he pulled her closer against his chest as their sparks moved on their own. They wrapped around each other tightening their hold. Bumblebee arched up moaning as pleasure slammed into him. Goldbug was fairing no better she felt everything Bumblebee did, she felt all his emotions. It was amazing. The little scout had a enough sense to let his little femme overload first, but he followed hers within seconds. They both fell into recharge, exhausted; but very contented as they laid in each other's servos.

"Yo man, das not right why does the scout get the femme?" Skids remarked.

"Because you two were being your overbearing rude selves, how can you expect to have a femme if you treat them like that?" Sideswipe demanded.

"Yeah I suppose." Mudflap mumbled.

Oooooooo

Ironhide and Sam woke in each other's arms; Ironhide had a serious look on his face plates. "You need a name change."

"Really like what?" Sam asked.

"Lightning…..?" Ironhide asked.

Sam thought about it. "Sounds like a cool name." he said. "Lightning I like it." he said.

"Good, I am glad you do." Ironhide answered as he held Lightning against his massive body silently thanking Primus for sending him back to him.

**(Outside the Autobot hanger)**

Thundercracker and Skywarp circled the Autobot base, and then seeing for themselves the new femme with Bumblebee. "The Autobot scout has the new femme; let's relieve him of her, shall we?" Skywarp mused as they sent missiles racing toward the base hitting different targets.

Autobots and NEST troops ran out with weapons at the ready; as Skywarp, Thundercracker and several other Seekers landed weapons trained on Bumblebee. Thundercracker sent a laser blast toward Bumblebee hitting the scout's shoulder. "Bumblebee…!" Goldbug cried out worried for her mech as Thundercracker grabbed the mech taking off into the air.

Bumblebee transformed his arm into his cannon and blasted Thundercracker. However, when he did the Seeker let him go and as Bumblebee plunged toward the ground everyone realized their little scout would be offlined for sure. "BUMBLEBEE!" everyone yelled.

"Don't worry Autobots, you'll follow him soon enough." Skywarp sneered as everyone heard the familiar jet sounds.

The Wing Lord of the Seekers did several flips and headed straight for Bumblebee; he transformed and grabbed the scout saving him from a violent offlining for sure. "He saved Bumblebee." Lightning remarked shocked.

Optimus was just as shocked as he saw Starscream land with Bumblebee. Once Bumblebee was safely on the ground Starscream's null ray came out pointed at Skywarp and the others. "You will stand down, I am the commander of the Seekers and the Autobots are off limits." Starscream ordered shocking his Seekers right along with the humans and Autobots.

"But Megatron said….." Skywarp started to say.

"Megatron is insane; it is his fault our numbers have dwindled I will not lose anymore of my Seekers to this war. I am defecting to the Autobot's side; I would like for you all to do the same. We are losing everything and what's the point this war is solving nothing." Starscream said with a snarl turning toward Optimus he lowered his weapon.

Starscream bowed toward the Prime, Optimus nodded. "Prime, I offer myself and my Seekers for your cause; so that we may bring this war to a quick end." Starscream replied as he knelt in front of Optimus in old customs Cybertronians did for Primes.

Optimus was moved and stunned by the act, as he felt his sparkmate move beside him. Starscream glanced up spotting the possessive way Barricade stood by Optimus and he realized why. Barricade and Optimus were sparkbonded, which meant the Autobot leader did care about preserving lives even ex- Decepticons. He was nothing like his older brother, Megatron thrived on killing Autobots. Then he remembered the forest battle and knew he had to set things right from his part in that battle. "Lord Prime, I wish to beg for your forgiveness in my part for the battle, which resulted in your offlining no matter how temporary it was." Starscream said as Optimus nodded.

"You have been forgiven, Starscream." Optimus said as Starscream nodded and got to his feet.

"Prime, your brother wants the new femme; he is plotting to take her we were instructed to take her." Starscream explained.

"My brother will never learn from his past mistakes; I doubt he will be able to be saved, he is already gone." Optimus said.

(Several hours later)

Barricade and Optimus lay on their berth; Optimus was silent conflicting emotions seizing his spark. Barricade read each and every one of them loud and clear his mech needed him. Barricade shifted. He never was used to being kind or compassionate, but the soft keening noise that Optimus made urged Barricade. He gently and slowly slid his servos around Optimus urging the Prime to lie facing him. Optimus led by his sparkmate's gentle urging faced him; Barricade searched the Prime's face knowing he was concerned about Megatron. Barricade knew Optimus was concerned because Megatron was insane and psychotic and thrived off of hurting his younger brother. Barricade ran his claws gently over Optimus' antenna knowing full well they were sensitive to Optimus. The slight action caused Optimus to groan and move closer to Cade. "That's it come to me, I am here for you." Barricade whispered not making anything he did really sexual all he wanted was for Optimus to relax and fall into recharge. "That's it recharge." Cade said softly. "Calm yourself at least until we can stop all this madness, my sparkmate." Barricade replied as he realized his old Decepticon self never would have allowed this soft side to appear; especially to Optimus but now he was one of them and things were different much different.

**(Autobot base)**

Ratchet stomped into Ironhide's weapons room; a look of pure annoyance on his face plates. "Where is he?" Ratchet demanded almost glowering at the burly weapon's specialist.

"Where is who?" Ironhide asked innocently knowing fool well who he was referring too.

"Your mate, I need to give him his medical tests and scans to make sure he is running properly. Slagging boy is testing my circuits." Ratchet mumbled.

"He's not a boy anymore, Ratch." Hide said with a snicker, as Ratchet shot him a look that promised violence in Ironhide's future; if he said one more thing.

"Don't start with me; I know where you recharge at." Ratchet growled as the door opened, and in came Lightning not realizing who was with his mate.

"Hey Hide make sure that…" Lightning started to say until he saw Ratchet. "Oh never mind I'm….."

"HOLD IT!" Ratchet ordered.

Lightning froze as Ratchet approached him. "Hey Ratchet, what's up?" Lightning asked backing up.

"Don't you hey Ratchet me, you get into the medical bay right now; or so help me I will hit you so hard with my wrench." Ratchet warned as Lightning peered over at Ironhide for help.

"Come on; Hide a little help here please." Lightning replied as Ironhide smirked knowing when to stay out of Ratchet's way.

"I can't interfere with this one, kid-o." Ironhide remarked.

"WHAT….Why not…?" Lightning demanded.

"Smart mech….." Ratchet said as he pushed Lightning out the door. "And as for you….Now move!" Ratchet ordered as Lightning went into the hallway and over to the medical bay.

Lightning went into the medical bay, and then sat on a berth. "See, I'm here." Lightning said with a snarky tone.

Ratchet gave Lightning a smirk. "I see you still retained your old cocky attitude regardless of anything else." Ratchet remarked scanning Lightning, and then tapped his chest plates. "Open up." Ratchet ordered.

Lightning saw the expression on Ratchet's face plates. "What, what's wrong?"

"Hang on, you will want Ironhide in here for what I am about to tell you." Ratchet answered.

Lightning was afraid his optics widened with panic.

::: Ironhide you may want to come into the medical bay, what I have to tell your mate you need to hear too:::

Ratchet was waiting for him to respond when Ironhide came crashing through the door. Lightning jumped at the loud sounds of the mighty burly mech coming through the door. "What's wrong with my Lightning?" Ironhide demanded his cannons warming up.

"What's wrong with you, Ironhide?" Ratchet demanded. "You destroyed my door!" he exclaimed.

Silence….

"Well?" Ratchet asked reaching for a wrench.

"I thought something was wrong with Lightning." Hide replied going to his mate.

"Slagging glitch." Ratchet mumbled. "Ya broke my door!" Ratchet yelled as Prime, Barricade, Bumblebee and Goldbug came rushing in.

"What in Primus name is going on in here?" Optimus demanded.

"Ironhide_ broke my slagging door is what's going on." growled Ratchet._

"_What, why?" Optimus asked rubbing his chest plates and frowning._

"_Why are you rubbing your chest plates like that, Prime?" Ratchet demanded of Optimus._

_Optimus stopped realizing what Ratchet would do now. "It's nothing, Ratchet." Optimus mumbled._

"_Don't tell me it's nothing, now get in here." Ratchet growled pulling Optimus inside the medical bay._

_Once Ratchet had Optimus on the berth, he scanned him and then opened the Prime's chest plates._

"_What's wrong with him?" Barricade asked in a concerned tone walking along side his sparkmate._

"_I am fine." mumbled Optimus._

"_I'll relax when the doc says you are fine." Barricade said snaking a claw around his mate's body._

"_Just a minute." he said turning toward Bumblebee. "Bumblebee, where is your sparkmate?" Ratchet asked as Goldbug tried to shrink away from the coming attention. "GET OVER HERE, FEMME!" ordered Ratchet._

_Ratchet picked her up effortlessly bringing her to the medical bay. "Lemme go!" she shrieked as she too was subjected to scans and probing by Ratchet._

"_Ratchet, what is going on?" Optimus asked warily as Barricade pulled him closer making the Prime smile._

_Ratchet smiled inwardly at the question Optimus had asked him. "Optimus, Lightning and Goldbug are carrying sparklings." Ratchet said as Bumblebee grabbed Goldbug hugging her._

_Barricade wrapped his servos around Optimus, who grinned sheepishly at Barricade. Barricade leaned in and kissed Optimus running his claw over the Prime's chest plates gently. _

_Lightning turned toward Ironhide, who suddenly grabbed Lightning and picked the smaller mech up and held him close to his own chest plates. "We're gonna be parents." Ironhide replied shocked as he put Lightning down and had the silliest grin on his face plates._

_He fell straight onto his aft the happiest mech that ever was._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – The return of an old enemy

**(Autobot base – Bumblebee's quarters)**

Bumblebee was snuggled up close to Goldbug nuzzling his mate, while his rubbed her chest plates. "We created a new spark a new life force together." Bumblebee said holding her closer against his body.

Bumblebee was the youngest of the Autobots; he was also very protective of his leader. This of course was mostly because he always considered the Prime like a mech creator all his sparked life.

Goldbug ran her hand over the scout's face rather gently. "I am glad you're my mate, Bee." Goldbug whispered into Bee's audios making the scout shiver and make a robotic sound.

Bee suddenly let the radio play Marvin Gay's Sexual healing play making Goldbug smirk. "Oh you want to go at it again, do you?" Goldbug mused as Bumblebee's optics brightened.

Goldbug's wild laughter could be heard all over the base; which alerted everyone as to what they were doing.

**(Ironhide and Lightning's quarters)**

Ironhide was sitting on a chair watching Lightning heatedly. "I know Ratchet was angry about the door, but I got concerned I can't ever lose you. When you were still human and I knew you had died I couldn't take it, my spark hurt so badly." Ironhide said as Lightning got up and walked over to the larger mech.

"I'm right here Hide and I never will leave you ever again; we are starting our own family." Lightning whispered as he kissed Ironhide firmly sliding his glossa into the bigger mech's mouth.

Ironhide usually a tough as nails mech was slowly calming under the smaller mech's touch. Suddenly Lightning chuckled. "What's wrong?" Hide asked.

"I had a thought, think we can keep up with Bee and Goldbug?" Lightning asked.

Lightning saw a rather wickedly dirty expression, cross the weapons specialist face at his words. "I think that can be arranged." growled Hide as he picked the smaller mech up and placed him on the berth with a lustful growl. "Let's see how long before Optimus and Cade joins in with the wild sparkmerging." Ironhide added in snarky tone.

**(Optimus and Barricade's quarters)**

The loud moans coming from Bumblebee's quarters and Ironhide's reached the audios of the two mechs. Optimus trying to keep his focus on paperwork, while Barricade watching him heatedly. "Do you honestly think we can ignore that?" Cade finally asked.

Optimus glanced up at his mate his own optics turning purple with need. Barricade knew that look the Prime wouldn't hold out much longer, he smirked then. But he had no intention of being rough this time, he would be taking his time being sure to take gentle care of his mate.

Barricade strolled over and urging Optimus up to his feet got him over to the berth, where he gently sparkmerged with his leader and mate. He knew gentle sparkmerging could bring the wildest reactions from the Prime and he was right. Optimus bellowed his overload rather loud shaking the walls, Optimus' body shook as Barricade held him. "That's my mech there is nothing like my Prime overcharged, you've got them all beat." he chuckled as Optimus mumbled something incoherent and drifted off into recharge along with Barricade.

**(Decepticon base)**

Megatron sat on his throne tapping his fingers on it as he saw Shockwave and Soundwave carrying something into the throne area. Megatron looked furious and his mood was so foul no one dared make any mistakes in their calculations for fear of being offlined. "Will this work?" demanded Megatron.

"Yes, Lord Megatron." Shockwave said as Hook and Scalpel came in with a last remaining Allspark shard.

Megatron had no idea Lightning held a smaller version of the Allspark on his wrist band. Megatron's twisted mind was heading for revenge of not just his brother but Barricade and the Seekers as well. Megatron glanced down at the offlined body of his master; he would get his revenge soon and he would hear his brother beg for mercy; mercy he would never get.

**(Decepticon base – Throne room)**

Megatron watched as Hook and Scalpel worked diligently to repair the Fallen's injuries; which were extreme from his face to his chest area. "Optimus did a number on him, Lord Megatron." Hook responded.

Megatron snarled. "And he will pay for that with his worthless life, I will hear him begging for mercy. I will watch as his energon pours from his body and his very life force leaves him." Megatron snarled as he got to his feet and slammed his fist into the wall.

Hook noticed the trickle of energon from Megatron's clawed fist. "Master, you are injuring yourself." Hook replied.

"Just do your job and repair him, and then revive him. This time my brother will wish he never came to this planet I will hear his pleas for mercy!" he roared as he sat down on the throne his optics burning with hatred for his brother.

**(Autobot base- Optimus and Barricade's quarters)**

**(Optimus' nightmares)**

Optimus looked around his human allies were scattered everywhere, bodies were everywhere, his Autobots his precious Autobots were all taking a beating. He looked up and saw his mate on the ground barely online. He ran to Barricade trying to hold his mate in his arms. "Barricade, no!" Optimus cried holding Barricade close.

"I…I w…..will l…love y…y….ou…" Barricade whispered as he offlined in Optimus' arms.

Optimus looked up in time to see the fallen and Megatron spacebridge with their sparkling. Optimus roared in pain as he heard his brother's laughter at his agony of grief.

**(End of the nightmare)**

Optimus onlined with a jolt and cried out Barricade's name, Barricade was quickly trying to urge his sparkmate to calm down. "Easy Prime, easy…..." Barricade softly replied as he pulled Optimus into his servos.

"They offlined you; they took you from me to get even with me." Optimus whispered his usual calm personality now rattled by his being with spark.

"Shhh, it was only a nightmare, I am safe see I am safe." Barricade replied as he held the distraught Prime.

"Megatron and the fallen, they took our sparkling and took you away from me." Optimus replied as Barricade gently caressed his mate's helm.

"The fallen is dead you killed him, he can't harm us." Barricade whispered as he leaned Optimus' helm onto his shoulder.

Barricade heard the awful whining sounds erupting from Optimus and it worried him. He knew this was just caused through hormones, which were a lot stronger than human hormones especially for a mech. Barricade's radio went on to the romantic sounds of Elton John, which seemed to calm Optimus down. The combination of music, and Barricade's tender caresses stilled the upset Prime. Optimus' frantic death grip loosened becoming softer. Optimus answered the song with one of his own after a romantic sultry song another called 'You gotta love someone by Elton John'. Barricade pressed his lip plates against Optimus' causing a wave of desire in Optimus. Barricade responded with another song entitled 'You're in my heart by Rod Stewart' as he kissed Optimus firmly moving his lips toward Optimus' neck. Optimus wrapped his servos around Barricade's body holding him close. Barricade heard Optimus' engines rev and knew he was accomplishing what he wanted distracting his mate from any further sadness or pain from a nightmare. Optimus responded once more with potent desire and another song 'I can't help falling in love with you by Elvis Presley' as it was Barricade's turn to rev his engines as he listened to the words of the song.

Barricade gently started to sparkmerge with Optimus with the tenderest and gentlest care he could. He heard the moans his mate made and they escalated as the leader groaned as love so intoxicating hit both mechs. "Barricade, I love you." Optimus moaned.

"I love you to, Optimus." Barricade said returning the affection his mate held for him.

Abruptly both mechs overloaded in potent pleasure, Optimus honked his horn when he overloaded making Barricade start joking with him.

"You really need to stop tooting your own horn, you know that?" Barricade replied as Optimus chuckled.

"I didn't technically you blew it for me in the heat of passion." Optimus said.

"Do you realize you tamed me, Optimus?" Barricade asked as Optimus stretched and ran his hand over Barricade's chest plates.

Optimus snorted. "I hope not too much I still like when you're fiery in our berth, you have a habit of bringing my darker side when we're together not that I don't like gentle. Because that a few minutes ago was quite romantic, the song dueling was quite nice too." Optimus said as Barricade smirked as he kissed Optimus and let another song play out.

The song 'Wild horses by the Sundays' played on Barricade's radio as Optimus moaned.

"You're such a horndog." moaned Optimus as he felt Barricade's body warming up for another go.

"Like you're not enjoying this, you're such a liar!" Barricade remarked as he never realized Optimus was positioning him.

"Buckle up, dear spark I am musing you need another go but much wilder this time." Optimus remarked.

"Look who's the horndog now!" Barricade exclaimed as he his exclaimed died out as he slowly started to purr, click and purr once more for his sparkmate.

**(Decepticon base)**

Megatron watched as Scalpel climbed on top of the Fallen's body, he slammed the Allspark shard into his master's chest. The Fallen's optics lit up an eerie ruby red as he came online he snarled.

"Where is that retched Prime?" he roared.

"My master, you function once more." Megatron remarked.

"Yes, my apprentice and together we will destroy that miserable excuse of a Prime and everyone who has aligned themselves with him. We shall start with that child, who befriended them." the Fallen replied with a snarl.

"Master, the human insect was offlined by one of his own kind; he will no longer be a problem." Megatron explained.

"You have much to learn my apprentice, he lives but he has been transformed. You have lost those worthless Seekers as well Barricade, who has mated with that worthless Prime. So, the Prime is with spark; how interesting." the Fallen stated as Megatron looked confused not understanding where he was getting the information from.

"What?" Megatron retorted.

"Perhaps it would be in our best interests to relieve the sparkling for him and Barricade and have the child raised to destroy its creators. So many possibilities with a sparkling in the mix, wouldn't you say, apprentice?" the Fallen remarked as Megatron looked away. "Megatron, you didn't answer me, it wouldn't be in your best interests to do that. Now that the rightful leader of the Decepticons has returned things will be much different." the Fallen announced as Megatron looked away the look on the Con's face not a pleasant one.

"Please forgive me, my master." Megatron said. "Master, how did you know all that you did, when I didn't even know?" Megatron asked as the Fallen rumbled slightly.

"Because I know all, apprentice." he said as he rose to his pedes and headed for the throne…his throne.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – The Sparklings are born

**(5 months later)**

Ratchet was in his medical bay, when Bumblebee came rushing in carrying Goldbug bridal style through the door. "RATCHET….!" exclaimed startling the CMO.

"Bumblebee is Goldbug ready for delivery?" Ratchet asked as Goldbug glanced over and grabbed Ratchet by the neck.

"Yes, **SHE** is and **SHE** wants it out, **RIGHT NOW**!" Goldbug replied. "And if this feels anything like I remember my mother saying it felt like; then I want **MORPHINE **and **NOW!"**Goldbug exclaimed as Ratchet watched Bumblebee put Goldbug onto a berth.

"Goldbug, you're not human, you are Cybertronian now." Ratchet said as Goldbug rolled her optics.

Ratchet urged Bumblebee out of the medical bay; while he delivered the sparkling. When Goldbug started rattling off in Spanish; Ratchet merely rolled his optics and started mumbling about half witted femmes who drive him crazy.

**(An hour or so later)**

Ratchet put the sparkling into Goldbug's arms; she cuddled the sparkling in her arms. The whole time the cute little sparkling made clicking and purring sounds.

"Where's Bee?" she asked as the door opened and in Bumblebee walked.

"Right here….." Bumblebee said as he watched his mate with their sparkling in her servos.

The sparkling was yellow with black stripes running down it's back, this confused Bumblebee because sparkling were usually born grey. However these were not normal circumstances and Ratchet explained that to both Bumblebee and Ironhide long before the deliveries. What shocked Bumblebee and Ratchet was when the sparkling was trying to get its daddy's attention and not winning. It wrinkled its nose plates, and started sputtering out Spanish at his mech creator shocking both Ratchet and Bumblebee. This only made Goldbug laugh hysterically.

"What the slag?" Ratchet mumbled.

"Watch it, mister; no cussing around the sparkling." Goldbug threatened.

"We have to name it, what are we naming it?" Bumblebee asked as he picked up the little wiry little sparkling.

"Dragonfly or Firefly, I like both of those." Goldbug said.

"Dragonfly, it's different." Bumblebee said with an excited click and purr; as he wrapped his servos around Goldbug also. "Okay, little one you will be known as Dragonfly." Bee replied nuzzling both his fiery femme and little mech sparkling.

Abruptly Ironhide came crashing through the repaired medical door, which startled everyone. Ratchet was fondling a wrench and gazing at the weapons specialist who had a pretty silly expression on his face plates. "Sorry Ratch, but it's time." Ironhide said as he helped Lightning come into the medical bay.

Ratchet watched how protective Ironhide was of Lightning; he helped him sit down on the berth next to Goldbug. Both Ironhide and Lightning gazed over at Bee and Goldbug. "He's so adorable." both said. "What's his name, Bee?" Lightning asked.

"Dragonfly…." Bee answered proudly.

"Cool name, Bee!"

"Congratulations you two…." Ironhide said turning to Ratchet. "Come on doc you need to help him; he's ready to have it." Ironhide remarked.

"Will you just hold it, he will be just fine." Ratchet said annoyed. "I have been delivering sparklings for a long time, slagging glitch head." Ratchet said. "I need you yo leave while I deliver sparkling." Ratchet replied as Ironhide chuckled.

"That ain't happening I am staying right here with him." Ironhide commented.

"IRONHIDE you will wait until I call you just like Bumblebee did." Ratchet ordered.

"No, I most certainly will not!" Ironhide said.

"Oh really and who says?" Ratchet grumbled.

"Leftie and Righty, they can be quite good with making mechs change their minds on things." Ironhide replied showing Ratchet his warming cannons with a smirk.

"Oh honestly Ironhide…." Ratchet mumbled.

"Hey Ratch….?" Lightning questioned.

Ratchet poked the big black mech in the chest plates. "You are incorrigible, do you know that?" Ratchet mumbled.

"Hey Ratch….." Lightning said as he watched his mate and the CMO argue again. "Hey crusty old doc bot…!" Lightning finally yelled.

That got Ratchet's attention.

"What did you just call me?" Ratchet demanded as Lightning smirked.

"Sparkling wants out now…." Lightning said as he saw Ironhide's cannons power down.

"Nice going guys….." Ironhide said as he kissed his cannons and smirked at Ratchet. "Take memory notes of your Uncle Ironhide, Dragonfly."

"Yeah, what not to do…." Ratchet grumbled then.

"Just deliver the sparkling, grandpa…" Ironhide mused.

Lightning could see Ratchet was planning on getting back at Ironhide, he would do something to his mate some sort of prank will ensue that much he knew.

**(An hour and half later)**

Ironhide was holding he and Lightning's little mech sparkling, which they both decided on calling Ironstrike. The little sparkling looked exactly like his mech creator, except for the lightning bolt down his back like his mother.

However the happy birth was suddenly interrupted when they all heard Barricade yelling for Ratchet.

"**RATCHET…..OPTIMUS NEEDS YOU!" **

Ratchet quickly went running out of the medical bay to his leader's quarters. He was so preoccupied with getting to Optimus, he barrel- assed right through their door doing exactly what the weapons specialist did.

"Why did you do that, Ratchet the door was unlocked?" Optimus mumbled in tears.

"Doc, get the sparkling out of him, those slagging hormones are spinning way out of control." Barricade ordered as Optimus grabbed Barricade by the arm and snarled.

"I heard that **NO SPARKMERGING WITH ME!" **Optimus grumbled.

"Ratchet, get that sparkling out of him, before he flips." Barricade ordered.

"What's wrong with you, Cade I love you be nice to me." Optimus said sadly.

"I love you too, Optimus." Barricade said kissing Optimus.

Optimus suddenly pushed Barricade away.

"You cannot get any aft right now I am having our sparkling; behave you horndog!" Optimus blurted.

Barricade smacked his hand over his face and groaned. "He is flipping out and losing it."

"Hey Cade…?" Optimus said in a teasing tone.

"What?"

"Look …?" Optimus ordered.

Barricade warily looked at his mate; Prime growled and flipped his middle finger at his mate. Barricade looked at Ratchet who shrugged. "Hormones affect everyone differently with Optimus his mood swings suffered." Ratchet explained.

"No kidding?" Cade growled.

Optimus grabbed Cade pulling him close for kiss igniting Barricade's senses, and then he pushed him away again. "**HORN DOG…..!**" Optimus accused.

Ratchet grabbed Barricade and pushed him out into the hallway. "Let me deliver your sparkling in peace, and I can't do that if my patient is all wired." Ratchet said pushing him outside in the hallway.

**(An hour and a half later)**

Optimus was holding his and Barricade's sparkling, she was beautiful. She had Barricade's coloring and her mother's red and blue flames. Barricade came in and Optimus gave Barricade the sparkling to hold. "She's so beautiful." Barricade said in a loving tone.

Optimus chuckled then. "I am sorry for being such a bundle of hormones." Optimus said.

"I forgot about it, silly." Barricade replied kissing Optimus and then kissing their sparkling. "So, what are we naming it?"

"How about Andromeda…?" Optimus asked his optics pleading.

"I can't say no to you and you know it." Barricade said.

"I know." Prime said as Barricade sat by his said placing Andromeda in her mother's arms.

It was then that Optimus saw the mark on their daughter's face like his. "Primus…." he whispered.

"What's wrong, Optimus?" Cade asked.

"Our daughter look at the symbol on her face?" Optimus said.

"What, what is it?" Cade asked concerned.

"Our daughter is the next Prime." Optimus replied stunned as they both looked at her in awe at the future Prime.

Ratchet got done with all those deliveries, and to say his circuits were frazzled was putting it mildly. He had gone through Goldbug's crazy wails for Morphine, and then her and Bumblebee's Spanish speaking sparkling when it wanted attention. Ironhide going through the door, when it was time for Lightning to deliver their sparkling, and his threatening to sick Leftie and Righty on him. Let's not forget Optimus' colorful mood swings from crying one minute, to snarling the next, and then last but certainly not least his flipping off Barricade. Ratchet had been so rattled he pulled an Ironhide rushing right through the door, which of course set off Optimus into tears. Ratchet was ready to pull his own wiring out by the time; he was done with those three deliveries. So, he disappeared into his quarters taking some much needed alone time to himself.

The three little sparklings got quite a lot of attention from Will, Bobby and Graham. Andromeda was very spirited and took a shine to Will, her favorite game being how many times she could make Uncle Will make milk come out of his nose. The sparkling giggled, and clicked, and would make Uncle Will constantly do their favorite game every chance she got. Andromeda already knew how to get what she wanted; she started off at an early age.

Then there was little Ironstrike, who took to Bobby wanting to constantly see the solders' guns cannons. This was actually no shock seeing as whom the little mech's father was, he was a cannon with legs.

"Would ya look at that, see who he is taking after already?" Ironhide asked all in smug smiles.

"Big shocker there…." Skids remarked.

"Don't annoy him; he'll introduce you to Leftie and Righty." Mudflap said nervously.

"That's right Leftie and Righty, and don't you forget It." the big black mech said all smiles.

Suddenly Dragonfly toddled out, and when the attention had abruptly shifted from him to Ironstrike or Andromeda. Then the little mech would have none of that, he would screech in Spanish bringing all eyes and optics on him. Then everyone would get a chuckle from the little attention stealing mech; who had learned very quickly how to gain attention from the other two sparklings.

Andromeda also learned how to steal attention; she also seemed to be learning to be the leader of the group of sparklings. Optimus and Barricade watched all the sparklings playing; then Optimus caught sight of Lennox walking over to them. Lennox couldn't help the smirk, Optimus glanced over at Barricade. "What did you tell him?" Optimus asked wearily.

"Nothing I swear." Cade remarked with an innocent look.

"You are **NOT** innocent, Cade!" Optimus grumbled.

"Hey Optimus, you have a beautiful sparkling." the major said.

"Thank you, Major." Optimus said as he could see the major was going to say something else and was dreading it, especially when Bobby and Graham walked up too smirking.

::: You are so dead, when we are alone:::::

Barricade just chuckled.

"So, heard you gave Barricade the finger before you gave birth to Andromeda." Lennox said.

"I most certainly did no such thing." Optimus insisted.

"Yes, you did don't lie; it's unbecoming for a Prime to lie." cackled Barricade.

"I did no such thing." Optimus remarked sourly.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Lennox chuckled.

Optimus leaned down and scooped up Andromeda, holding her against his chest plates. "Hello there, sweetspark." Optimus whispered. "Your daddy's being quite the nerd now." Optimus mumbled.

"What did you just call me?" Barricade demanded.

Optimus smirked.

"You heard me I said you are a nerd." Optimus replied.

Barricade stomped over toward his sparkmate, and gazed at him, but try as he might, he could not muster an evil look. He merely grabbed his mate and planted a soul stirring kiss on his lip plates rocking his world slightly.

"This nerd can rock your world though, isn't that right?" Barricade remarked as Andromeda giggled loudly, while Optimus slowly slid his one hand behind Barricade's helm for a stronger kiss.

Andromeda needing to get into the act with her creators giggled and tapped her daddy on his chest plates. "Daddy…..nerd….." she giggled as Barricade glanced up at Optimus.

Optimus tried to remain serious, but just couldn't. "Not my fault…" Optimus remarked.

"I blame you….." Barricade replied as he picked up the sparkling. "Andromeda go play with your friends, while your mommy and daddy have a talk, okay." Barricade said kissing the little sparkling, while Optimus moved stealthy to try and get away from Barricade.

Lennox, Epps and Graham saw the Prime trying to escape and alerted Barricade with wild cackles.

"Don't look now but Optimus is escaping." Epps replied with a howl of laughter as Barricade turned around.

"Thanks a lot, Epps." mumbled Optimus as he took off less stealthy or graceful for that matter.

"Run mommy….." giggled Andromeda as Barricade went after the leader.

Lennox looked at Andromeda then with a smile. "Who knows Andromeda you may get a little sister or brother soon." Lennox cackled as both Optimus and Barricade's voices ran out.

"We heard that!"

Ooo oooo ooooo oooooo

**(Decepticon base – Throne room)**

The Fallen was rather quiet, but no less disturbed by what he saw and felt. He knew Optimus and Barricade's sparkling would be a danger, but he didn't foresee the fact she would be a Prime. This changed things quite a bit, if they could not kill Optimus Prime there would be a chance Andromeda would be able to defeat the Fallen. For all his bravo the Fallen was not anxious to go to the well of sparks again. He had no choice he had to kill Andromeda, unless of course he could corrupt her. He had several plans but each had consequences; he wasn't sure would pan out well for his Decepticons.

"Apprentice, come here." the Fallen ordered as Megatron walked in and in a foul mood.

The Fallen sensed this and realized his apprentice was hesitating, he narrowed his optics. "Yes, my master." Megatron's voice dripped slightly with bitterness.

"Is that distain I detect in your voice?" the Fallen asked.

"No master, I am fine." Megatron retorted.

"I believe we will need to kill Andromeda if we cannot corrupt her." he replied as once again Megatron looked displeased at the mention of killing his brother's daughter.

**(Megatron's POV)**

I didn't need to think twice to know this would not end well, you don't mess with a mech's sparkling Primus even I knew that. Perhaps, if I knew his plans I could somehow alert my brother without the Fallen knowing and save my niece. I may not see eye to eye with my brother but no sparkling deserves to be thrown into our battle.

"As you wish, my master….." I said as I had to think of a way to help Optimus no matter the consequences.

My brother may be weak at times but Andromeda didn't have to be thrown into this not as long as my spark burned within my chest. I will find a way to keep her protected even at the cost of losing my own spark to save hers.

**(Optimus and Barricade's quarters)**

Optimus was curled against Barricade their servos wrapped around each other, as well as Andromeda lying in between them. Optimus for the most part didn't have any more nightmares, but he got a strange dream with his brother in it.

**(Optimus' dream world)**

Optimus was on the hill, where he made the call to the other Autobots. He turned to find his brother behind him walking up without any weapons. Optimus confused and not knowing how to respond.

"What too stunned to say hello to your own brother?" Megatron replied.

Optimus frowned. "Hello brother…. What are you doing in my dreams?" Optimus asked finally.

Megatron glared at his brother for a moment. "We use to communicate this way all the time, don't you remember?" Megatron asked.

"Yes, but back then you hadn't run me through the back and blown my life force out of me." Optimus grumbled turning away.

"So, it's true you have become more emotional since you had the sparkling." Megatron said softly.

Optimus made a keening sound, and winced knowing what his older brother would say next, what he always said about him no matter how much he tried to stop it from hurting. It always stung with a vengeance. "I guess that means I just am a little weaker than normal, doesn't it brother?" Optimus snapped as Megatron lowered his gaze with a growl, knowing why Optimus said what he did.

Megatron looked at his younger brother, and for the first time his brother looked much different. The war had taken its toll on him; he had felt it even in dream state his brother regardless of how happy he was with Barricade and sparkling. Optimus was broken inside, and it was his entire fault. He cringed, and stepped closer to his brother. Then with extreme gentleness he pulled his younger brother into his arms. Optimus tried to fight him at first not understanding what his older brother was trying to do. But his exhaustion won out and he finally sagged against his brother clutching his brother's armor. "I am sorry Optimus; this is my fault I need to repent for whatever damage I have caused you." Megatron replied stroking his brother's helm.

Optimus didn't understand what caused this strange and puzzling behavior in his brother.

"I have prayed to Primus for so long, and asked him to make you see the light for so long. I figured you were too far gone when you killed me, but now you're changing? Was it because of the Fallen's being destroyed, did that bring his spell over you, brother?" Optimus asked.

Silence…..

"What's wrong?" Optimus asked.

"I….I made a terrible mistake the Fallen is back revived with the last shard of the Allspark. He is much stronger and looking for payback, he is planning to go after everything you hold dear. His main target is Andromeda the future Prime, he figures if he can't corrupt her he would merely kill her." Megatron stated as he heard his brother snarl inwardly.

"NO, I will not allow this." Optimus replied with a feral growl.

"I will help you anyway I can, Optimus; perhaps in stopping the Fallen if I lose my spark in the process in will be retribution for all the misery I caused you in the past." Megatron remarked as Optimus narrowed his optics at his brother.

"Your death will solve nothing; do you not want to get to know your niece?" Optimus asked.

Megatron smiled as he held Optimus tighter. "I would like that very much." Megatron replied.

"Good, get away from the Fallen as fast as you can, you know where are base is. It's time for you to come home, brother." Optimus whispered holding his brother as energon tears fell from not just Optimus' optics, but Megatron's as well.

"The humans will they be a problem?" he asked quickly wiping the annoying tears from his optics.

"I will speak to them; you just need to get here right away." Optimus replied as Megatron nodded.

"I will leave right away." Megatron replied as he caressed his brother's helm.

Optimus watched his brother transform and take off into the air in jet form.

**(Optimus' dream ends)**

Optimus jolted from recharge and sat up, remembering his brother would be arriving soon.

:::: Optimus to Ironhide- come in:::::

::::: Ironhide here, what's wrong, Optimus::::::::

::::: Get everyone to assemble on the base the humans included::::::

:::: Okay:::::::

Barricade watched his sparkmate.

"What's going on?" Barricade asked.

"Megatron is coming to the base he is coming home." Optimus said.

Barricade's optics widened in shock, but mostly out of fear for Optimus. "You can't trust him, Optimus; we have sparklings on the base now." Barricade said.

"He met me in dream communication and told me what the Fallen plans, he was brought back by Hook and Scalpel with a last Allspark shard." Optimus said.

"So, he's changing just like that?" Barricade asked snapping his fingers.

"Yes, he apparently wants to change and I believe him, I could feel it in him. He cried." Optimus said softly.

"What….?" Barricade asked shocked. "But Megatron never cries he always made others cry." Barricade whispered as Optimus nodded and watched as Cade picked up Andromeda holding her.

They got up and headed out into the hanger where everyone was waiting for Optimus. Optimus sighed and started to speak about his dream communication with his brother. Optimus relayed everything and even spoke to General Morshower, John Keller and the president. Optimus knew there would be apprehension, but not such blunt refusal to accept his brother.

The president only allowed Megatron to stay on Diego Garcia until the Fallen and the others were destroyed. Then they insisted Megatron, Starscream and his Trine, and Barricade had to go. The order was like a cannon blast to Optimus' spark.

"Sir, Barricade and Optimus are bonded that isn't fair; Starscream saved Bumblebee's life and Megatron wants to change." Lennox said anger building in his tone.

"Major, might I remind you **THEY** brought this damn war to our planet, they need to clean it up. If they can't follow our rules then they will be thrown off our planet by force if need be." the president said as the monitors went blank after.

Lightning looked at Optimus when he walked up the pleading expression in his leader's optics. "Lightning, we have you to help us rebuild Cybertron; it is a good thing Primus forgives us for our misdeeds. I guess humans cannot find it in their hearts to forgive those that do them wrong." Optimus said as he walked away and went toward the fence with Barricade holding Andromeda following.

**(The Decepticon base)**

Megatron was having a hard time leaving the base, the Fallen knew all too well what his apprentice was doing.

"You think me a fool, Megatron?" the Fallen demanded as he levitated Megatron throwing him against the wall making him go right through it.

Megatron brought out his fusion cannon, and sent a powerful blast at the Fallen.

"You cannot kill me you fool, you are no Prime!" the Fallen roared as Megatron blasted him several times and quickly transformed taking off. "I will have your spark as well as your worthless brother's!" the Fallen snarled.

**(Autobot base – several hours later)**

Optimus heard the jet engines and knew his brother was approaching, however as his brother approached and transformed. He collapsed onto the ground energon leaking from his wounds with the Fallen.

"Megatron…..!" Optimus shouted as he went to his brother's side.

"The Fallen was not very happy to see me leaving, he knew Optimus somehow he knew what I was up too." Megatron replied as Optimus with the help of Ironhide got Megatron to his pedes and brought him to Ratchet.

Ratchet tended to Megatron fixing his wounds. "I am glad to see you trying to change." Ratchet said as Megatron eyed Ratchet.

"I heard my brother was fighting mood swings during the time he carried and also when he delivered." Megatron replied.

"Oh the whole base was quite lively from those three pregnancies." Ratchet said as Lightning walked into the medical bay with Optimus following him carrying Andromeda.

"How is he doing?" Optimus asked.

"He's recovering quite nicely." Ratchet said as Optimus put Andromeda into Megatron's arms.

"Your niece, Megatron and future Prime…." Optimus said.

Megatron held Andromeda his optics getting misty, while he held her.

"Andromeda, that's such a becoming name for such a stunning femme." Megatron replied as the little femme reached up and touched his face with a gentle caress.

"This is your Uncle Megatron, Andromeda." Optimus said as the sparkling squealed, and curled up laying her little helm on her uncle's chest plates.

"I am glad you're changing, you can be a part of this." Lightning replied as he showed Megatron the Allspark wrist band that was a part of his wrist armor.

"Sam?" Megatron asked.

"Yes, and this is the Allspark smaller version but nonetheless still the Allspark." Lightning explained as Megatron glanced from Ratchet to his brother.

"Cybertron, we can rebuild our home, our race has a chance to live once more free from war." Megatron replied his optics misting once more as he glanced down at the little sparkling in his arms.

"We have to leave after the Fallen is disposed of and Earth is safe, I am afraid most of the humans aren't as forgiving as I am, brother." Optimus replied.

"I had a feeling, but at least you and I are able to mend our relationship, that's all that matters." Megatron said as Ratchet found himself gazing longer at the ex warlord.

Lightning saw it and commed Ratchet privately.

::::: Everyone else is falling in love why can't you?::::::

Ratchet glanced over at Lightning, and then back toward Megatron.

"Okay enough, you must give my patient some air now." Ratchet ordered.

"What why?" Optimus asked.

"He's needs rest…" Ratchet answered.

Lightning snorted as Optimus went to pick up Andromeda and found her in deep recharge snuggled in Megatron's arms. Optimus didn't have the spark to remove her from her uncle's arms.

"Don't let him fool you he wants to frag the hell out of Megatron." chuckled Lightning.

That little comment earned Lightning several hits on his helm from Ratchet with his favorite wrench. "That hurt!"

"Keep you vocal processors turned off then." Ratchet grumbled.

"Come on, Lightning." Optimus said with a chuckle as he turned toward his brother. "Don't do anything I wouldn't." Optimus said.

"Yeah, did you hear that, Ratchet?" asked Lightning as he saw Ratchet pull a Optimus and give him the finger nonchalantly.

Ratchet closed the door and glanced at Megatron, who had fallen into recharge with his niece making Ratchet smirk. The one mech who he figured could never change had changed; that same mech was the only said mech who could ever turn his head. He remembered before the war he had wanted him; but never said a word. Could he start one now, would he accept him now?

::::: Ask me, you silly medic::::::

Ratchet jumped at the private commlink and looked down seeing Megatron smiling his fangs showing.

"Your awake, I thought you were in recharge." Ratchet replied.

"No Ratchet, I am very much awake." Megatron said.

Megatron watched as the medic was silent.

"Listen here, you cocky medic are you planning on asking me; or will I be old and rusty before you even ask?" Megatron demanded.

"Cocky?"

"I could have said old and crusty, but I decided against it." Megatron said with humor in his voice.

"Yes and instead of a heavy slagging you would have gotten a beaten instead of….." Ratchet said as Optimus came into the medical bay with a lopsided grin reaching for his recharging daughter.

"Okay continue, don't mind me." Optimus said.

Optimus gently took Andromeda when they all suddenly heard the banging and snarling coming from the medical bay. Goldbug's optics widened when she and Bumblebee approached the door.

"What the slag is going on?" Goldbug asked as the ground shook as Starscream chuckled.

"Someone is getting a good sparkmerging." Starscream said. "I want a peek."

"You're such a perv." Barricade growled as Starscream snorted and walked away.

"I am not the one yelling his voice processor off as he gets sparkmerged." Starscream mumbled as everyone quickly disappeared; before the two said mechs were finished.

"I doubt they will finish yet, you'd be surprised how long Megatron can go." Optimus said as Lightning gave him a side glance. "I am not talking from experience; get your processors out of the gutter." Optimus remarked rolling his optics at the once human, who was the leader's best friend.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – Megatron's surprise

**(Diego Garcia – Ratchet's quarters)**

Ratchet couldn't believe it he was laying in the arms and sparkmated with one of the most dangerous mechs in all of Cybertron history. Well aside from Optimus Prime himself, that is; Optimus was also known as a rather deadly mech. Ratchet realized vaguely Megatron was stroking his chest plates and the CMO moved closer instinctively craving the touch of the warlord.

"I cannot believe we have been together for this long now, it's quite shocking." Ratchet said as Megatron snorted.

"I am more surprised at why the humans haven't thrown us all out of here." Megatron mumbled.

"The Fallen took the remaining Decepticon troops and kept them hidden, but we will find them." Ratchet said as Megatron snarled then as he rubbed his chest. "What's wrong?" Ratchet asked.

Silence….

"Nothing is wrong I am fine." Megatron grumbled as Ratchet grabbed his wrench and whacked Megatron in the helm with it.

"What the slag did you do that for?" Megatron demanded.

"Open up, I want to make sure you're okay?" Ratchet ordered as Megatron growled but knew better than to argue with his mate.

Ratchet saw what he suspected, and his spark flared with love. Megatron saw this and wanted to know what was going on.

"What is going on, would you tell me you old coot!" Megatron demanded.

Ratchet whacked Megatron once more in the helm. "That was for calling me an old coot, you dumb aft." Ratchet mumbled. "You are carrying our sparkling, you slagging glitch!" Ratchet exclaimed as Megatron looked shocked, and then it turned to happiness.

"We're going to be parents?" he asked. "I have to tell my brother, he is going to be an uncle!"

Ratchet sent a private comm to Optimus.

:::: Optimus, would you please step into my quarters:::::

::::: Is everything okay?::::::

::::: It couldn't be better:::::

:::: Good, I will be right there::::::

Optimus walked into the medical bay, and went to the room in the back; which was Ratchet's quarters. Optimus saw his brother's smirk and Ratchet's smugness.

"What is wrong?" Optimus asked.

"This old coot still has it…." Ratchet replied with slight arrogance in his tone.

Silence…. Optimus still had a vague expression on his face plates then.

"I am with spark, brother!" Megatron finally exclaimed. "You are a strong and cunning leader, Optimus; but I swear to Primus you can be dense sometimes." Megatron blurted out as Optimus tilted his head at his brother.

"We shall see how you're feeling in a few months, brother." Optimus said with a snicker.

"Optimus, where are you going?" Megatron demanded.

"I have some business to tend too." he replied.

"I am going to nail you right in the aft, do you know that!" Megatron hollered.

"Wishful thinking brother, wishful thinking….." Optimus said with a howl of laughter.

Ratchet chuckled and Megatron glanced at him.

"What are you laughing at?" demanded Megatron.

"You two are more alike than you care to admit, do you know that?" Ratchet said.

Megatron waited for his sparkmate to get closer and then attacked him pinning the CMO down hard. "I am so going to make you beg to overload, doc." Megatron purred.

**(Outside the hanger)**

Yells of excitement were suddenly heard as Starscream and his trine growled from the yells.

"They are so slagging loud, glitch heads!" Starscream shouted.

:::: Hey Skywarp, maybe our wing commander needs a good sparkmerge::::

::::: Let's remind everyone why his name is Starscream:::::::

Starscream was quickly grabbed by his trine and EVERONE got an earful of yells from the Seeker leader.

**_(Autobot base – Diego Garcia – 5 months later)_**

_The sounds of cannons were heard on the base, Epps came running looking around with a rifle. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, Jolt, Ironhide, Barricade and Optimus ran out. "Get the sparklings in the bunkers __**NOW!" **__Optimus ordered until he saw no one was attacking. "What the slag is going on?" he demanded as they heard cannons again. "That's coming from the medical bay, come on!" Optimus shouted as he was the first to reach the medical bay._

_Optimus rushed in breaking down the door in the process, this didn't make Ratchet very happy either._

"**_That door was unlocked, I swear that slagging door is coming out the slagging pit spawned thing is no good to me like that!"_**_ Ratchet yelled as Optimus saw the blasts all over the walls._

"_Are you alright?" Optimus asked._

"_No, I am not alright, do I look alright?" he demanded. _

_Optimus glanced at Megatron whose fusion cannon was blasting holes into the walls._

"_Why don't you just offline his weapons?" Optimus suggested._

_Megatron growled at his brother._

"_Why don't I offline your interface equipment, how about that, brother?" snarled Megatron as Optimus' hand went automatically to his interfacing unit as he backed up slightly._

_Megatron saw humans and mechs both crowding into the medial bay._

"_TAKE A PICTURE it lasts longer!" Megatron snarled at the humans and mechs._

_Sunstreaker burst out into wild fits of laughter, this of course only pissed off Megatron more._

"_Listen you oversized banana, shut your pit spawned voice processor or I will shut it for you!" Megatron snarled as he raised his fusion cannon making everyone freeze until Ratchet managed to offline his cannon._

_Barricade came inside the medical bay with Andromeda in his arms, she was crying until she saw her mommy and held out her arms._

"_Come here sweetspark, mommy has you." Optimus whispered as Andromeda watched her Uncle Megatron and waved at him as Optimus took her out._

_She caught her Uncle Megatron waving back at her, as his brother left with the sparkling. Then Megatron's attitude flared once more as he stared murderously at Ratchet as he grabbed his armor._

"**_YOU DID THIS TO ME!" _**_Megatron snarled._

"_No shit Sherlock…." Ratchet finally said using an all too human phrase._

_Megatron growled at that._

"_I am pretty sure you wanted what I was doing to you, smart aft." Ratchet remarked._

_Megatron became quiet as Ratchet smirked and leaned down and opened his sparkmate's chest. Megatron gave a painful yell as the sparkling was taken out of his chest. "__**PRIMUS, THAT SLAGGING HURTS!" **__Megatron yelled._

"_It always hurts, but the pain is worth it in the end. Look at our precious little femme, Megatron." Ratchet said putting the sparkling into Megatron's arms._

_Megatron and Ratchet took notice she was a flier, she had both her parents coloring and big blue optics. Ratchet tickled the little femme's cheeks and both Ratchet and Megatron got a big surprise. She nipped at her father's fingers and she let loose with a string of wild cuss words leaving Ratchet's mouth wide open in shut._

"_Slagging pit spawn glitch, stupid aft…." the sparkling giggled pointing at her parents._

"_How did she know those?" Megatron demanded._

_Silence….._

"_Ratch, how did she do that?" Megatron repeated._

"_She must have somehow programmed the cuss words somehow." Ratchet said as Optimus came into the medical bay._

"_How is my brother doing?" Optimus asked._

"_Slagging pit spawn glitch, stupid aft…." the sparkling repeated once more as Optimus stopped dead in his tracks._

"_Did she just say?" Optimus asked._

"_Yes, apparently she somehow downloaded our cuss words during the pregnancy and has learned to use them." Ratchet replied._

_Megatron was smirking then._

"_What are you smirking about?" Ratchet demanded._

"_I have her name…." was all he said._

"_Well, let's hear it come on." Ratchet said as Optimus smirked._

"_Spitfire…" Megatron said with his optics brightening._

"_I like it." Ratchet replied._

"_As do I, it suits her." Optimus said as he bowed his head toward Megatron. "Lord High protector…..." Optimus said as Megatron's optics widened and misted._

"_Are you saying?"_

"_Yes, you will be our high protector once more, Megatron." Optimus replied. "Now enough said, let me see that sweet little niece of mine." Optimus said as he picked up his niece who rattled off more cuss words and giggled._

"_That's going to be a problem." Ratchet mumbled._

"_Of course, it is." Megatron replied as suddenly Megatron arched up screaming in pain his hands on his head._

"_Brother, what is it!" Optimus exclaimed as Ratchet tried to help him as well._

_Megatron's world suddenly went spiraling into blackness._


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – Death comes on swifts wings

**(Megatron's mind)**

Laughter could be heard, as Megatron looked around finding the Fallen in front of him. He snarled at the Fallen, when he approached him with that spear in his hands.

"You betrayed me, Megatron and you mated with an Autobot. I will get your sparkling too, I will raise her to kill your brother." the Fallen snarled as he slammed his spear into Megatron's stomach.

He watched as Megatron snarled in pain.

"Your weak, Megatron I am disappointed in you; I had such high hopes for you." the fallen growled.

Megatron started to crumble to his knees.

:::: Help me, brother….Please:::

**(Medical bay)**

Ratchet frantically tried stemming the vicious wound in Megatron's stomach.

"What the slag is going on, why is getting injured?" Ratchet demanded as he tried to repair the injury.

Optimus knew precisely who was behind this, and knew he had to go into his brother's dreams to stop it. Optimus' optics burned with anger, turning to his friend and brother's mate. "Protect him as well as you can." Optimus ordered.

"What in Primus name are you doing?" Ratchet demanded seeing Optimus lay down on one of the medical berths.

"My brother needs me we used to communicate through dreams as younglings before the war and even during the war. I need to get to him…." Optimus started to say until Barricade came in with Andromeda. "Barricade…..Andromeda, what are you doing in here?"

"Andromeda insisted I take her to you." Barricade said.

"Mommy….put servos up." she said urgently.

"Sweet spark, mommy has to help Uncle Megatron." Optimus replied as Barricade gazed over at Megatron.

"I know mommy…put your servos up!" Andromeda ordered as Optimus did as his daughter asked.

The second his hands touched his daughter's electric currents hit his body, as lightning crackled out of the little prime's hands heading into her mother.

Optimus was knocked onto the berth and knocked into the dream state. "Get him mommy, kick his slagging aft."

"What was that little missy?" Barricade asked.

"Nothing daddy…..." Andromeda replied with a smirk.

**(In the dream world now)**

The fallen walked up toward Megatron. "You are nothing, Megatron; you are far worse than your brother ever was. I will crush your spark in dream state and then in the real world take your sparkling and the future prime." he snarled as he readied his spear only to have his arm stopped in mid air.

"Pick on someone your own size, you miserable excuse for a Prime." Optimus snarled as he picked up the fallen and sent him flying.

"Brother…." Megatron moaned.

"I am here." Optimus replied as the fallen charged at him.

Optimus and the fallen tumbled battling each other, both receiving wounds by the battle. Optimus ended up getting pinned by the fallen who laughed at the predicament Optimus had landed himself into.

"Looks like I will get both your sparks after all." the fallen snarled. "Remember how you killed me, you retched Prime? You took my spear and ripped my face off and then crushed my spark in your hand, now it's your turn." he snarled.

Optimus' optics widened in horror, at those words as he fought with the fallen. He had remembered exactly what he said even, telling the fallen to give him his face. Then he smashed his fist into the Fallen's chest saying I rise and you fall.

**(Medical bay)**

Andromeda's optics were shining an almost amber color.

"Daddy, put me on mommy, now!" she ordered.

Barricade glanced over at Ratchet then, trying to figure out what he should do.

"Do it, Barricade; Optimus and Megatron are in trouble." Ratchet ordered as Barricade put Andromeda gently onto her mother's body.

**(Dream State)**

Optimus was trying to fight off the fallen, but he was having trouble. The fallen seemed a lot stronger this time around, then he the last time they fought. A nasty upper cut from the fallen to Optimus' face had him spitting out energon.

"I'm going to rip your spark right out of your chest, Optimus Prime." the fallen snarled.

Optimus gave a feral like snarl at the fallen.

"Be careful, brother." Megatron replied as he tried to get up to help Optimus.

The fallen hauled Optimus to his feet, he narrowed his optics at the troublesome Autobot leader.

"Say good-bye to everything you love, you retched worthless Autobot." hissed the fallen, as he got ready to ram his fist into Optimus and snuff out his spark.

"**Get away from him, NOW!" **Ordered a strong female voice.

The fallen looked over to see an older femme; she was black with red and blue flames gracing her body.

"Who the slag are you?" the fallen demanded. "You dare interrupt me killing this worthless Autobot!" the fallen yelled.

"That Autobot is **MY** mother, you slagging piece of scrap metal." she growled approaching the fallen unafraid of him. "Oh and my name is Andromeda Prime, and your aft is mine." she snarled.

The Fallen sneered at Andromeda then, as hated for the femme blazed in his red optics.

"Foolish child, do you really think you can defeat me, you are but a child. Your daughter is a bigger fool than you are, Optimus Prime." the fallen remarked as he threw Optimus onto the ground. "Come little Prime, I have never destroyed one so young, but there is a first time for everything." the fallen snapped.

Megatron crawled over to his younger brother, while Andromeda faced the fallen.

"Andromeda, no….." Optimus growled, as pain shot all through his body.

Optimus spat out energon once more.

"Protect my mother, Uncle Megatron." Andromeda said. "Bring it, creep." she snarled at the fallen.

Andromeda flipped up into the air, her moves as graceful as Sideswipe's when he flipped over Sideways slicing him in two. Andromeda's battle stance was similar to her mother's, but her moves all of them were taken from all of the Autobots mostly Sideswipe though.

Andromeda flipped up once more using her powerful legs, to kick the fallen hard in his chest. Then flipping back onto her feet, she put her hands up facing the fallen. A smile touched her lip plates, as she watched the fallen suddenly fly backwards.

"You're not the only one who has that talent now." she snapped.

Silence…..

"Death will come on swift wings, but not by my servos. My mother will do it, that's his destiny not mine." she said turning and walking toward her mother and uncle.

"I don't understand you're just a sparkling, how can you be like this in the dream world?" her uncle asked.

Silence…..

"I was sent by Primus…." she said as Optimus gazed at his daughter like he was seeing her for the first time.

"You're a….?" Optimus started to say, until she smiled helping him and her Uncle Megatron up.

"I'm a gift from Primus, mother." she said softly as she wrapped her arms around her mother.

Optimus held his daughter tightly, as tears hit his optics.

"I love you, mother." Andromeda whispered.

"I love you too, sweetspark." Optimus said, as he glanced over at his brother, who smiled at him.

"Let's get out of this dream world, shall we?" Megatron replied.

"Yes, let's…..." Optimus replied.

**(Medical bay)**

Andromeda was still her cute youngling size, as Optimus held her gently against his chest plates. Andromeda purred as Optimus caressed her back realizing just how special his daughter was.


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16 – Pandemonium _

**_(Autobot base – Outside the hanger – Several months later)_**

_Mechs and NEST troops were outside, Will, Epps and Graham and the Seekers were gone from everyone's view doing God knows what to each other. The three soldiers had become fast friends with the Seekers and enjoyed the friends._

_Spitfire, Andromeda, Ironstrike and Dragonfly were all playing outside, however when it too quiet the grownups decided to check on their younglings. _

"_Where are the younglings?" Barricade demanded when they didn't see them._

_Mudflap and Skids saw them first and pointed to the sky. _

"_Look, there is Spitfire and the others is riding her." Mudflap replied as everyone gave him a dirty look. "See, you's guys have dirty processors." Mudflap grumbled as Skids punched him._

"_You's so ugly…." Skids accused._

"_And you's are so stupid, we's twins dumbaft!" Mudflap said with anger._

"_What are they doing?" Optimus demanded._

"_I am so grounding that femme!" Megatron grumbled as Ratchet stomped out of the hanger. "What's wrong with you?" Megatron asked._

"**_All my wrenches are gone!_**_" Ratchet exclaimed as Megatron's optics met his brother's optics._

"_You don't think?" Ironhide and Lightning said at the same time._

"**_DUCK…..!" _**_Optimus and Megatron yelled._

_They were just in time as wrenches rained down from the sky, while the younglings were tossing wrenches at their parents and the others. Everyone heard wild giggles coming from above; Megatron glanced up and got to his feet. _

"**_SPITFIRE, GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!" _**_Megatron yelled helping his brother up._

_Andromeda glanced at Spitfire and cringed. "Your mother sounds angry." Andromeda said._

"_Slag it, am I going to get my aft busted now." Spitfire grumbled._

"_Your mother sure is mad." Dragonfly answered._

"_I am not talking about my mother." Spitfire said as she landed and the younglings scrambled off of her._

_Ratchet was standing there his arms crossed glaring daggers at his daughter, while his foot pad tapped angrily._

"_Oh slag it, I can explain daddy." Spitfire replied. "She made me do it!" she said pointing toward Andromeda._

"_You little glitch head, __**TATTLETALE….**__!" Andromeda mumbled as she jumped onto Spitfire tackling the Seeker._

_Spitfire cackled wildly as she and Andromeda wrestled around on the ground._

"_You may be future Prime, you little pit spawn slagger; but I can still whip your sorry aft." Spitfire mused._

"**_SPITFIRE!"_**_ yelled Megatron._

"_Yes mother…" she mumbled, pushing Andromeda off of her and going to her mother and father, who was glaring daggers at her._

"_Andromeda, come here." Optimus ordered._

"_Oh slag….." Andromeda said as she walked slowly up to her mother, who did not look one bit amused with their antics._

"_Whose idea was this?" Bumblebee asked Dragonfly._

_Dragonfly started rattling off in Spanish only adding more fuel to a burning situation. Ironhide and Lightning turned to Ironstrike, who merely looked at Dragonfly. _

_The two pointed immediately over at the two femmes. "Theirs…" the two mechs said as Andromeda and Spitfire snarled._

_Then quicker than anyone could react both femmes jumped the little mechs pinning them down._

"_Tattletales get their afts kicked, did you know that?" Spitfire snarled shoving her fist into Ironstrike's who kicked her off._

"_Stupid femme, father blast her!" Ironstrike snapped._

_Andromeda pinned Dragonfly down, until he started rambling in Spanish. Then Andromeda merely rolled her optics in disgust._

"_Sissy mechs….." was all Andromeda said as she leaned over bumping fists with Spitfire who snickered. _

_Optimus picked up Andromeda._

"_That was not at all acceptable behavior, young lady." Optimus said as she glanced over at her father._

"_Listen to your mother, young lady." Barricade replied as she pouted and crossed her servos over her chest._

_Ratchet grabbed Spitfire, she glanced at her father._

"_Am I slagged?" she asked._

"_Oh yeah….." was all Ratchet said._

_Spitfire growled sounding suspiciously like her mother._

"_Slagging pit spawned, miserable glitching….." she stopped in mid sentence when she saw the look in her father's optics. "What?"_

"_You know very well what?" Ratchet said as she had the nerve to snicker._

**_(Several hours later)_**

_Spitfire, Andromeda, Ironstrike and Dragonfly were carrying paint cans and headed for Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Jolt and Starscream. They were in their vehicle forms, Dragonfly wrote on Starscream's jet form, I am a huge deformed Dorito ask me why. Ironstrike painted lightning bolts all over the blue Volt in bright colors, while Andromeda made pretty flowers on Sideswipe's Alt form. Andromeda smirked and glanced at Spitfire, who had the pleasure of defacing Sunstreaker. Spitfire made a big smiling face on Sunstreaker's hood as well, as several flowers too. _

_Spitfire leaned over tapping fists with the young Prime as they snickered._

"_Let's go…" Spitfire said as the four sparklings went running into their rooms with their parents._

_Andromeda saw her mother and father were recharging in each other's arms, she smirked thinking she got away with sneaking in._

"_Where were you, young lady?" Barricade asked as she jumped and looked over at her very awake parents._

"_Mommy! Daddy!" she squealed jumping on the bed with them._

_Optimus looked at Barricade and both had weary looks in their optics._

"_What did you do now?" Barricade asked._

"_Me…? I didn't do anything, I am innocent." Andromeda said smiling._

"_Why don't I believe that?" Optimus asked._

_Andromeda was ready to answer, when there were sudden yells very angry and very loud. Andromeda cringed looking at her parents who WERE NOT amused._

"_Let's go…." Optimus said picking up the escaping youngling._

"_Do I have to?" she whined._

"_Yes, you do." Optimus and Barricade growled._

"_Oh, there's one of them!" Starscream snarled. "Whose handy work is this, Andromeda?" demanded Starscream._

_Andromeda tried so hard to stifle a laugh, as Starscream looked at her with a rather irritated expression._

"_I didn't do it." she mumbled._

"_Andromeda… Do not fib!" Optimus ordered._

"_I'm not, I didn't deface him I did Sideswipe." Andromeda said as she slapped a hand over her mouth._

"_So, you are the guilty party that did this to me." Sideswipe muttered rolling closer toward her._

"_You look pretty." Andromeda mused._

"_I don't want to look pretty I am a warrior, I have to look like a warrior!" Sideswipe said as Megatron and Ratchet came out with Spitfire._

_Spitfire's optics went to Sunstreaker, and he already knew she was the one behind his defacing._

"**_YOU LITTLE DEMON SPAWN FROM THE PIT….._**_!" Sunstreaker growled._

_Megatron glanced down at Spitfire, who was laughing like she had lost her processors. Sunstreaker stalked over to her, his blue optics burning with anger._

"**_YOU WILL FIX ME AND RIGHT NOW!" _**_Sunstreaker snarled._

"_Yes, you will." Megatron and Ratchet said together as her mouth popped open._

"_But…." she started to say until Sunstreaker pushed his face right into hers._

"**_What was that?"_**_ Sunstreaker started to ask._

"_Nothing… I'm sorry Sunstreaker." Spitfire grumbled._

"_I'm sorry too Sideswipe." Andromeda replied._

"_You will repaint Sideswipe, Andromeda." Optimus and Barricade ordered._

_Both femmes knew better than to argue now, not when their parents were so angry. It wasn't until Dragonfly and Ironstrike came out, that they realized what was going on. Dragonfly apologized to Starscream and had to repaint the Seeker; Bumblebee was so embarrassed and kept apologizing to the Seeker for his mech's prank. Ironhide blew his stack with Ironstrike when he found out what the little mech did to Jolt. He was ordered by his father to repaint the Volt and to do it right and VERY quickly._

"But father….." Ironstrike whined.

"None of that whining boy, you listen to me or you'll get a slagging on your little aft." Ironhide said. "And not by your mother by ME!" he snarled as Ironhide. "Now get to work." he ordered.

Spitfire and Andromeda both smirked and tried to butt fists, but their mothers were not having any of that.

Lightning and Ironhide looked at each other.

"That little mech of yours being extremely unruly." mumbled Ironhide.

"Why is it when he is out of line and gets into trouble he's my little mech; but when is blowing things up to impress you he's your little mech?" Lightning said.

"Don't question me…." Ironhide mumbled.

"Why not….?" Lightning asked.

"Because I said so, that's why and I know what's best." Ironhide replied as Lightning laughed.

"Since when big guy…?" Lightning snickered.

"Yeah, I am a big mech much bigger than YOU never forget that." Ironhide mumbled as he turned realizing everyone was watching them. "**DISPERSE NOW!" **Ironhide ordered as he turned around picking up Lightning and tossing the lighter mech over his shoulder and heading toward their quarters.

Bumblebee whistled, as Goldbug made a truly unfeminine snort after watching Ironhide haul Lightning away.

"Hey dad, remember something okay?" Ironstrike called out as Ironhide turned around.

"What is it and choose your words wise, boy; because you're on the list and the list is not someplace you want to be." Ironhide remarked as Lightning snickered. "And you shouldn't be laughing or snickering, do I not intimidate you at all?" he growled.

"Nope not so much….." Lightning remarked. "What did you want to tell us, Ironstrike?"

"I want a brother…" was all he said.

"What about a little sister?" Lightning asked.

"Ewww no, I want a brother." Ironstrike snapped.

Spitfire and Andromeda snorted then.

"He just can't keep up with femmes; he's a slagging weenie mech." Spitfire mused.

Ironhide and Lightning never heard anything they headed straight to their quarters.

**(New Decepticon base)**

The Fallen sat on his throne staring at his new army his optics blazing with fury, he was bested by a femme and didn't like it one bit.

"Starcrusher come forward…." the fallen ordered as the mech stood tall and walked up to the throne.

He was a black mech who was the same height as the fallen, but was bulkier in size. The fallen sneered and rammed his fist into the mech's chest crushing his spark. The fallen removed his fist and the second he did the mech's spark relit itself and the armor healed on its own.

"Perfect….." the fallen snarled.

**(Ironhide & Lightning's quarters)**

Lightning watched Ironhide sit on their berth, his intakes going a mile a minute.

"Our little mech seems to be a little troublemaker, doesn't he?" Lightning mused.

Ironhide huffed then.

"I blame those two femmes, they are getting him all mixed up; that little mech should be blasting things away not playing tag the Autobots." Ironhide remarked.

"Be glad he didn't tag you, Hide." Lightning mused.

A frown creased the mech's face then, and then his optics shined brighter.

"**He** knows better than to tag his mech creator." Hide grumbled.

"Right…..Okay whatever you say big guy." Lightning chuckled, as Ironhide growled and grabbed Lightning by his servos, pulling him right into their berth and into Hide's awaiting servos.

"**GOTCHA….!"** Ironhide snarled playfully.

Lightning lay in Ironhide's arms running his hands over Hide's chest plates. Lightning heard the moan escape Ironhide's mouth, as the black mech arch up wanting more contact from his mate.

"I am so glad we found each other, Ironhide." Lightning replied, as Ironhide ran shaky fingers over his mate's face.

"I was afraid in the beginning; I didn't think you'd want this tired old mech. All any of us have ever known was war, death and destruction; the faint things we were ever given of comfort were from Optimus. He would merge sparks in a cleansing with us, and give the comfort we needed to go on. He was the glue that held the Autobots together, and then when he was gone it was falling apart." Ironhide whispered as he grunted slightly.

Lightning ran his fingers over the Topkick's face, as he slowly lowered his lip plates onto Ironhide's kissing him passionately. Lightning's glossa slid inside of Hide's mouth, as Ironhide groaned, and maneuvered his mate onto his back. Ironhide's kisses became fevered, and he had Lightning more than a little aroused.

"That's my mech…." Ironhide mused through the kiss. "Want more don't ya?" he mused.

"Mmmmmm yes, please Hide." Lightning moaned.

Ironhide moved his mouth plates closer to Lightning's audios.

"I love you so much; you mean everything to this old mech." Ironhide replied in such a loving way.

Lightning gazed up into the mech's optics, and saw tears of joy and love burning brightly in those optics.

"I love you too Ironhide, you and Ironstrike make my life complete. I am happier now than I ever was as a human. I was a joke as a human except to you guys and my parents. Everyone else thought I was a nerd or geek, I would joke about it but inside it hurt. My parents used to say people were just jealous, and that's why they poked fun at me. I didn't believe my parents though for a long time thinking they had to tell me that, until of course I had met you guys. Optimus died saving my life, and then you coming after me and teaching me really teaching me what it is to feel real love. I have my own family, a mate and a sparkling and the others make our family stronger, than any other family on this planet." Lightning said seeing those energon tears fall from his mech's optics.

Lightning ran his finger over the energon tear.

"**DO NOT TELL ANYONE I LEAKED." **Ironhide said gruffly.

Lightning wiped the tears away from his mate's face.

"What tears, there are no tears?" Lightning whispered as Ironhide smiled sadly.

Lightning ran his fingers over Ironhide's chest plates once more, until they opened on their own accord.

"Well would ya look at that, they opened all on their own." Lightning mused.

"Yeah, how about that." Hide said gruffly.

Lightning felt his own chest plates opening up slowly, while Hide's hand descended into Lightning's chest caressing his mate's spark. Hide watched as the tendrils wrapped around his fingers. He smiled as he saw his mate's spark reaching for its other half.

Then Ironhide with tenderness he never knew before gently lifted his mate up against his chest letting their sparks reach for each other. Ironhide held Lightning tightly against him, as his spark wrapped around Lightning. Ironhide nuzzled Lightning whispering things into his audio; Lightning had never known the weapons specialist could be so gentle and soft. This was their secret, no one would ever know how gentle and tender the gruff bot could be.

"You're so cuddly when you want to be, Hide." Lightning whispered wrapping his servos around Ironhide pulling him closer.

Ironhide grumped.

"I am not cuddly I am rough and tough." Ironhide said love very clear in his voice.

Hide's optics dimmed, and then brightened. Lightning leaned in closer if that was even possible given how close Ironhide held him to begin with. Ironhide's spark tightened once more around his mate's making Lightning moan with pleasure.

"Ironhide, I love you so much." Lightning replied as he felt his overload building up.

"I love you too, Lightning with all my spark." Ironhide answered as both bots suddenly spiraled into their overloads.

Ironhide pulled Lightning into his servos lying on his side with Lightning right there in his arms. They both gently fell into recharge completely satisfied from their beautiful sparkmerging.

**(Several days later)**

Spitfire came looking for Andromeda, the look in her optics already alerted the future Prime, that she was cooking up a scheme and wanted her help. Spitfire grabbed her servo taking her to outside ignoring the glares from Sunstreaker and his twin.

"You better believe they are up to something." Sideswipe remarked as his twin snarled.

"**Stay away from me you two!" **Sunstreaker growled as Spitfire flipped off Sunstreaker like she saw the humans do. "Did she just give me the finger?" Sunstreaker demanded.

Sideswipe snorted then.

"What do you think?" he snapped.

"I think she needs her little aft kicked for her behavior." Sunny replied.

Sideswipe chuckled then, as he saw that the two little femmes disappeared and saw where. Spitfire had transformed and taken to the skies with Andromeda on her back.

"So, what are we doing way up here anyway?" Andromeda asked.

"I need your help to convince the little mechs to help us." Spitfire said.

"With what….?"

"Pulling a prank on our parents….." Spitfire said.

"Such as…?" Andromeda asked.

"Giving them a new paint job." snickered Spitfire mused, while Andromeda gaped at her.

"**ARE YOU SUICIDAL?" **shrieked Andromeda.

"Maybe, I get it from my mother." she snickered.

Andromeda growled then.

"My mother and father will kill me." Andromeda muttered then smiled. "Okay, I'm in." she finally said. "Who do I get?" she asked.

Spitfire snickered then.

"My mother and father….." she giggled.

"Oh slag, figures I get Uncle Megatron and Ratchet; who are you defacing?" she asked.

"Your parents…." Spitfire answered as both femmes saw their parents outside talking to the twins.

"What are they up to I wonder?" Optimus asked.

Megatron glanced over at Optimus.

::::: What do you think?::::::::

::::: I think we better keep our optics alert, because those two are up to something:::::::

:::::: Indeed::::::

Spitfire landed and transformed running up to her parents, Andromeda did the same running up to Optimus and Barricade.

"Mommy! Daddy!" she exclaimed.

"What were you and Spitfire up too?" Barricade asked.

"Yes and how much apologizing will need to be done after?" Megatron asked.

"Mother honestly…." Spitfire mumbled crossing her servos over her chest, as Dragonfly and Ironstrike came out.

Spitfire was watching Ironstrike oddly with a gleam in her optics; this was something both Ratchet and Megatron picked up on.

:::: Is she ogling Ironstrike?:::::::

::::: It would seem so yes:::::::

"Spitfire, what are you doing?" Megatron demanded.

"Nothing why?" she answered innocently.

"Do you like Ironstrike?" Ratchet asked.

"What…EWWWW no he's a weenie!" Spitfire blurted out as Ironstrike looked hurt for a second, but the look left as quickly as it had come.

"Stupid femme, I will blast you!" Ironstrike grumbled his tone sounding like his father's exactly.

"Ironstrike, where are your creators?" Optimus asked.

"Sparkmerging what else…" was all he said.

"Blunt little guy, isn't he?" Lennox asked.

Optimus smirked at Lennox, Epps and Graham who slowly came up.

"Are you three alright?" Ratchet asked the humans but his optics landed on Spitfire.

"We are behaving, aren't we Andromeda?" Spitfire asked.

"Yes, we are." Andromeda said as Optimus smirked.

"Andromeda, look me in the optics and say that." Optimus replied as she cringed.

"We are behaving…" she said. "Honestly mom." she said as she realized she wasn't exactly lying they were behaving then.

"Very well…..." Optimus said as all the adults and humans needed to have a meeting with the president and general.

The four younglings were playing; Andromeda watched Dragonfly and walked up toward him.

"What are you doing?" Dragonfly asked as she pulled him closer and kissed him.

"Are you nuts?" Spitfire shrieked.

Dragonfly rattled off in Spanish and ran around with his servos up in the air.

"Oh slag I am going to rust now, she kissed me I am going to rust!" Dragonfly shrieked as he did a wonderful impression of his mother when she was human.

Andromeda rolled her optics not at all impressed.

"You are such a weenie, I was only testing you." she said with a smirk.

Dragonfly was still rattling off Spanish.

"Well stop it, you contaminated me!"

Andromeda crossed her servos over her chest tapping her foot pad on the ground.

"I am going to slug you so hard, Dragonfly; that your creators will feel it." Andromeda hissed raising her fist.

"No don't, I'm sorry for what I said." Dragonfly muttered.

"Alright, want to help us?" Spitfire asked.

"Help you with what?" Ironstrike asked, as Spitfire looked at Ironstrike with a rather interested gleam in her optics.

Ironstrike picked up on the look and knew no matter how the femme tried to hide it, she liked him, and he smirked.

"Prank our parents." Spitfire answered.

"You're crazy, do you know that!" Dragonfly accused.

"Is that a yes?" Spitfire asked.

"Fine yes…." Dragonfly muttered as Andromeda hugged him quickly.

"Thanks….."

Dragonfly glanced up at the femme who hugged him, he shyly looked away.

"You're welcome….." he whispered.

Spitfire smirked and realized, Andromeda had a thing for Dragonfly; which was fine because she did think Ironstrike was rather handsome for a little mech.

Good, let's talk, shall we?" the crafty femme replied never realizing their creators were having an awful time with the government officers on Earth.

**(Meeting room inside the hanger)**

Everyone watched the expressions turn from anger to sadness in the optics of the Autobot leader.

"We have caused no harm to you, Mr. President, yet myself, my mate and weapons specialist were captured and tortured; and then two of our human allies one of which saved this Earth twice were murdered in cold blood. We did…"

"You and your fellow machines are unfeeling war machines, which have no business in our world or anywhere as far as I am concerned. If it were up to me the whole damn bunch of you would be destroyed and dismantled, you're no good to anyone. You will take care of the fallen, and once you do I want you off this planet. You will never be permitted to return, if you do we will destroy any we find including you and your men Optimus Prime." the president said his tone filled with such venom.

"Freedom is your right, we will leave as you wish and never return." Optimus said his voice was mixed with sadness and despair.

Lennox, Epps and Graham hated the way the president treated Optimus Prime, the Autobot leader looked haggard after the meeting. They watched as he silently headed outside his hand slowly reaching for his racing spark.

"Optimus wait!" Megatron called out as the two brothers headed toward the fences to talk.

"These creatures are fickle, you and your troops save their miserable world twice and all you receive is a one way ticket off the planet." growled Megatron.

Optimus was silent at first, the president's words still spinning in his processors.

"That human is wrong about us, we feel and we have souls." Optimus replied. "I feel everything said and done to me." Optimus whispered.

Megatron lowered his head, as he had thought about every careless and thoughtless act; he had ever done to his brother. Then the topper hit him the forest battle hit him, the only battle which he had successfully exhausted and killed his brother. Megatron's optics hit the area where he had impaled his younger brother; he gently let his fingers run to the area that was still sensitive to his brother.

Optimus made a sad sound, while his brother touched the area, which his blade had penetrated and held him captive. Megatron glanced at his brother as his fingers trailed over the sensitive metal. Optimus made another sound much sadder this time.

"I'm sorry, brother." Megatron whispered. "I cannot imagine what you went through that day." Megatron replied his fingers staying where they were.

"You are forgiven, brother." Optimus replied, his voice betraying how he felt about the fact the humans had hurt him more than his brother ever had.

"We can leave for our home after, brother; you do not need the humans." Megatron remarked as his brother sighed.

"It just bothers me that these creatures can be so cold and callous like this to us." Optimus replied as he felt Megatron still running his fingers over his sensitive metal where he was impaled by his brother's blade.

Megatron was gentle; he wanted to help his brother feel better. He turned Optimus until he faced him. Megatron held onto Optimus with one servo while he braced himself with the other one. Optimus saw his brother's chest plates open, and knew what he was doing.

"Open up, little brother…..." Megatron ordered softly.

Megatron hadn't done this since the war started, it was something he enjoyed they would merge sparks to clean any negative emotions. The act was not sexual it was merely an act done to protect one another.

Megatron pulled Optimus closer holding him tightly, as they sparks wrapped around each other. Megatron felt his brother let go, as energon tears ran freely down his face.

"I am not a cold unfeeling war machine." Optimus responded so low.

"Shhh…just let it out, brother." Megatron purred.

Megatron's memories swirled, as he healed his brother's spark. His memories ran to after his master was killed.

**(Flashback Starts – Decepticon medical bay)**

Hook was trying to heal the wounds brought on by the battle at Egypt, when he scanned something odd in Megatron's cerebral processors. He rescanned several times only to find the same thing.

"Lord Megatron, there seems to be a serious problem within your cerebral processors." Hook replied.

"Such as…..?" Megatron demanded.

"Brainwashing codes, someone has been brainwashing you using you as a puppet." Hook remarked.

"**WHAT….!"** Megatron roared.

"This is a very complicated device and it is not an Autobot device, they would not stoop to such levels. The codes are rather sophisticated I do not know how long it will take me to break them." Hook replied, as he removed the coded device.

Megatron was pissed now, who would dare do that to him. Starscream…?

"Would my treacherous second in command do this?" Megatron demanded.

Silence…

"Starscream also has the brainwashing codes in his cerebral processors, my Lord; it was not his doing." Hook explained as Megatron knew of only one other who would pull this sort of trickery, but proving it was another matter.

The only problem was why when he followed this mech faithfully without question. Megatron snarled, he hated knowing this sort of trickery and treachery went on with the one mech he would have given his spark for. Of course, there was a time he would have done the same for his brother. However knowing the fallen had done this made him angry very angry.

"Soundwave and Shockwave will be here soon, they have found the last remaining Allspark shard." Hook said.

"Good, we shall see why he chose to resort to tricky to gain his followers." Megatron snarled.

Megatron grimaced, as his thoughts went to the war he had started for nothing, his memory banks swirling, and landing once more on his younger brother.

"What have I done brother." he snarled to himself rather than anyone else.

**(Flashback Ends)**

Megatron continued to hold his brother, as the healing was finishing. He felt his brother shake as the healing process started to stop.

"Thank you, brother." Optimus whispered.

"This was needed not just for bonding but for health reasons, slagging fickle humans." Megatron growled as he heard someone approaching.

"Uncle Megatron, is my mom okay?" Andromeda asked concern laced in her voice.

"Yes child, your mother just needed a spark healing." Megatron replied as Optimus gently pulled away and scooped up his youngling.

"Hello sweetspark, how are you?" Optimus asked.

"Worried about you." she said.

"Nonsense I am fine, okay?" Optimus said as she tilted her head looking at her mother.

"Are you fibbing?" Andromeda asked.

"No, sweetspark…." Optimus whispered kissing her cheek.

"Are you sure?" Andromeda asked, as she felt her mother's hands around her.

"I am fine, sweetspark; you and Spitfire have fun and play okay?" Optimus answered, as he and Megatron walked back toward the hanger, after they kissed their little daughters once more.

"Did you see that?" Spitfire asked.

"Yes they are hurting; we need to cheer them up." Andromeda replied as Dragonfly and Ironstrike walked up hiding something.

"What are you hiding?" Spitfire growled.

"It's our secret we found it in Mudflap and skids room." Dragonfly said, as Spitfire was on him in a split second.

"You little slagger give it here, or I will slug you!" Spitfire snarled.

"What is it with you femmes and slugging mechs?" Dragonfly demanded as he started to swear in Spanish.

Dragonfly showed the femmes what he and Ironstrike had.

"Is that what I think it is?" Spitfire asked.

"Yep, high-grade energon that we're not allowed to have." Ironstrike said smugly.

Spitfire let Dragonfly up, and he went to Andromeda giving her his extra container. Ironstrike shared his extra one with Spitfire.

"Hey, this stuff is good." Spitfire said as Starscream and his trine came over to the four unsuspecting younglings.

"What are you four doing?" Starscream asked.

"Drinking energon, why?" Andromeda asked hiccupping.

Starscream narrowed his optics at the little Prime.

"Is that high grade, young lady?" Starscream asked.

"No Screamer, we aren't allowed to have that." Spitfire answered for her cousin.

"I was asking your cousin **NOT** you; you would look me straight in the optics and lie right to my face. However **SHE** cannot do that, can you Andromeda?" Starscream replied as Andromeda smirked.

"Yeppers, that's right." Andromeda replied sticking her tongue out at Spitfire.

"I take it back I would rather slug her instead." growled Spitfire.

"We are only drinking regular energon, Screamer." Andromeda lied, as Starscream narrowed his optics shocked that she lied to him.

"Stay put…." was all he said, as he stomped away toward the hanger.

"Do you think he knows?" asked Dragonfly.

However what Starscream didn't count on was the three humans to stop him, and his trine for something. Spitfire noticed this, and sighed in relief; which meant they could finish their high grade. Then get ready to prank their parents to cheer them up….. Or so they thought.

**(Early in the morning – Outside the hanger)**

Spitfire, Andromeda, Ironstrike and Dragonfly were lying all over each other half out of it. They were up all night from defacing their parents with their humorous prank. They were also quite hung over as the humans would say; the younglings had never drunk high grade so naturally it left them acting quite strange.

Starscream and his trine never got a chance to rat the younglings out; this was mainly due to the fact that their humans were looking for them. This however will only make things much worse for the rebellious younglings. However this time, they were trying to make their upset creators laugh and be happy with their latest prank.

**(Bumblebee and Goldbug's quarters)**

Goldbug turned over snuggling closer to Bumblebee, this making little cute chirps and purring sounds to escape Bumblebee. Goldbug smirked as she slowly onlined, that is until her optics landed on Bumblebee. She shrieked and started ranting in Spanish, which fully onlined Bumblebee as she landed on the floor landing hard on her back. He was jolted online, but was surprised at Goldbug's behavior.

"Bumblebee…..?" Goldbug asked.

He frowned then.

"Of course, it's Bumblebee, who else would it be?" he said with a chuckle.

Goldbug stared at him then.

"Y….you're green, Bee." she whispered.

Silence…

"What…." Bee replied as he looked at his servos and gaped at what he saw.

Bumblebee was usually a patience little mech, but his little youngling was treading on thin ice now. He helped Goldbug up to her foot pads just as they suddenly heard Ironhide's angry yells.

They ran out, and saw Ironhide painted all white with little red hearts all over him. His cannons warming up in anger, while Bee had to stifle a laugh that threatened to bubble out.

"Laugh I dare you, bug!" Ironhide warned as Lightning looked serious instead of smiling.

"What is going on out here?" Sunstreaker exclaimed as he stopped dead and burst out into hysterics.

"NOT FUNNY, SUNSTREAKER….!" Ironhide snarled.

"**ANDROMEDA…..!" **yelled Optimus

"**SPITFIRE…..!**" Megatron roared.

The doors to both Megatron and Optimus' quarters slid open and the others were stunned into fits of wild hysterics. Megatron was now bright red and pink with little hearts and flowers on his chest plates. Optimus was bright orange with black and purple flames, his optics flaring in anger as well as his brother's.

"Where are those two femmes at?" Optimus and Megatron both demanded.

Sideswipe looked outside, and pointed to the four younglings sleeping piled onto of each other.

"Found them….." he replied pointing to them.

Optimus and Megatron stalked over toward the four unsuspecting younglings. Spitfire was curled against Ironstrike, while Andromeda was curled against Dragonfly her one hand on top of his chest plates with a smile on her cute face plates.

Megatron growled, and then smiled seeing how cute they looked.

"How adorable…." Megatron remarked as Optimus gave his brother a sideways glance. "**SPITFIRE….!"** roared Megatron as she jolted up staring at her enraged mother.

"Mommy….!" the little femme exclaimed as her optics shifted to her Uncle Optimus. "Uncle Optimus, hey there!" she said chuckling slightly.

"Don't hey there me; you and your cousin are in **BIG** trouble." Optimus said as Starscream and his trine came out.

"Your daughter lied to me, Optimus; while looking me right in the optics." Starscream replied.

"About what…..?" Optimus demanded as Andromeda cringed trying to sit up.

However when she and Spitfire suddenly emptied their tanks, all the creators realized what the younglings had gotten into.

"Where did they get high grade?" Megatron demanded as Mudflap and Skids looked at each other trying to make themselves as invisible as possible. "**HOLD IT YOU TWO!" **he ordered.

Optimus, Ironhide, Bumblebee and Megatron glared daggers at the twins.

"Where did you two get high grade?" Optimus ordered.

"We stole it from the Seekers….."Mudflap said as Starscream narrowed his optics at the demented Autobot.

"You stole it from us, you little…" Skywarp muttered.

"Never mind that, what possessed you four to drink something that we strictly forbid you to drink?" Barricade ordered.

"Please don't holler dad..." Andromeda muttered.

"You four are in so much trouble, now to start with who defaced who?" Ratchet demanded.

Dragonfly smirked at Ironhide.

"I defaced Ironhide…." Dragonfly said as Bumblebee turned toward the weapons specialist and cringed.

"Sorry about what he did." Bee said as the gruff mech merely nodded.

Ironstrike couldn't meet his creator's optics.

"Bumblebee…Sorry." the little mech said.

Ironhide glanced over at Bumblebee a little embarrassed at that.

"Sorry Bee, my youngling seems to have been a little on the cantankerous side." Ironhide mumbled as glared at his youngling. "Come here, boy." Ironhide ordered.

"I'd rather not, dad." he replied.

"**NOW BOY…..!" **Ironhide roared.

Megatron and Optimus turned toward their femmes.

"Uncle Megatron, I am sorry I was the one behind your perky colors." Andromeda replied as the warlord looked shocked then.

"Andromeda….Why….?" Optimus asked.

"Let me guess, you are behind your uncle's colors?" Megatron asked Spitfire who nodded.

"Mom, we can explain….. You were both so sad yesterday, and we wanted to help cheer you up. So, we figured a cool prank would make you smile, we knew you were sad." Spitfire said.

"Come here, Spitfire." Megatron said.

"Likewise, come here Andromeda." Optimus ordered as she obeyed him.

The mechs picked up their femmes, while Bumblebee watched Goldbug pick up Dragonfly and Lightning picked up Ironstrike.

"Yes, we were upset and still are; but defacing us will not make us feel better."Optimus explained.

"And neither will drinking high grade; you four only succeeded in making yourselves sick." Ratchet was quick to point out.

"We're sorry….." the four younglings said all together.

Megatron growled suddenly at his niece.

"Why would you paint me these colors for?" he demanded.

She looked at her uncle, and smiled at him.

"Because they are happy colors, and would make you smile." she said as try as he may, he couldn't stay mad at his niece.

Megatron and Optimus exchanged femmes, both mechs holding their nieces giving them a kiss on their cheek plates.

"Alright you're forgiven, but you must repaint me." Megatron replied sternly. "And Spitfire you must repaint Uncle Optimus."

"Yes mother." Spitfire said. "Sorry Uncle Optimus." Spitfire replied as the other two younglings apologized once more.

**(Later that night)**

Once everyone was repainted, then the parents sprang their punishment on them for drinking high grade. Mudflap and Skids ended up on punishment detail as well as the Seekers for not sharing the high grade with the others in the first place. Starscream grumbled at the twins for their stupidity, and smacked them several times.

"Dumb afts…." Starscream muttered.

The paint on the base was hidden away from the younglings after that, they wanted to put an end to painting mishaps of any kind.

Of course, these four spirited younglings would find something else to get into without batting an optic, there was never a dull moment with the younglings around.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – What just happened?

**(Autobot Base – Optimus and Barricade's quarters)**

Optimus couldn't recharge no matter how hard he tried, he laid there his intakes cycling wildly. Barricade turned over facing his mate, his clawed hand going to Optimus' face. He gently caressed his mate's face, and then softly kissed him.

"Are you okay?" Barricade asked.

Silence…..

"Optimus, is this about Andromeda?" Barricade asked.

"No, younglings will be younglings…No my memory banks keep returning to how the president despises us so; I will keep my word we will all leave Earth forever once this is finished." Optimus replied as Barricade continued to caress Optimus' face.

Silence…..

"Is that what you want?" Barricade asked.

"It doesn't matter what I want anymore, I had hoped we could return and visit our friends. But apparently the humans aside from NEST troops have abandoned us; I used to think I saw goodness in this species, was I that wrong about them?" Optimus asked his mate who merely pulled Optimus closer.

**(Megatron and Ratchet's quarters)**

Ratchet watched Megatron pacing the floor, trying to make sense of his walking the floor.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Ratchet asked.

Megatron glanced over at Ratchet, his intakes cycling.

"I am worried about Optimus… He is being torn apart in his spark by these ungrateful flesh creatures. Do they not realize if it weren't for him and the Autobots this planet would have been destroyed a long time ago?" Megatron demanded. "Ungrateful insects, that's what they are!" roared Megatron. "And that boy, they acted like his death meant nothing, I know he's a Cybertronian now but they don't know that." Megatron growled.

"Optimus doesn't do things for thanks." Ratchet whispered. "Though I do have to admit they treated us awful, even after he was killed they were disrespectful to him." Ratchet explained. "To all of us…" he added.

Megatron glanced over at Ratchet and saw his optics dim, as he figured the bot was going over data in his memory banks of said time. Megatron went over to their berth sitting down, and growling inwardly catching Ratchet's attention.

Ratchet went over to his mate curious about several things.

"Can I ask you something?" Ratchet asked.

"What?" Megatron replied.

"You left the Decepticons so fast defecting over to our side, I am not complaining but what changed your mind?" Ratchet asked.

Megatron sighed, and then leaned into Ratchet's touch.

"The fallen used me and somehow took control of my processors had me believing his cause was the right one. I had lost everything thinking his way was the right way. He kept talking about how Optimus was weak and dragging me down." Megatron said, as he laughed without humor.

It was more just an emotionless laugh.

"My brother was stronger than both the Fallen and myself wrapped together. I never gave my brother the credit he deserved, and after I had killed him I never felt right. I never said anything to anyone; I might have ripped into Optimus once more in Egypt but something was still gone. Then after learning what the Fallen did to Starscream and I, let's just say his cause slowly started to lose its hold on me." Megatron said. "I'll never be able to make up for everything I have done to my brother, but I will try I have a lot to atone for and I will try." Megatron replied, as Ratchet suddenly saw something emotionally different about Megatron.

It was something he felt honored to see, the once battle hardened and filled with hatred mech was becoming someone to be truly proud of once more. He sat by his mate, as so much emotion filled his spark at this beautiful change in Megatron.

"The change in you is something, do you know that?" Ratchet said in a somewhat gruff tone.

Megatron stared at him and growled.

"**No slagging sappy mush, Ratchet."** Megatron snarled as he felt a wrench hit his helm.

"Slagger…" Ratchet grumbled.

"Sorry aft glitch head." Megatron remarked.

"Pit spawned, little fragger." Ratchet groused.

Megatron growled, until Ratchet slammed him down onto the berth.

"I am going to merge you senseless, and then do it again just because I can." Ratchet retorted as the base was suddenly filled with growls and snarls followed by yells of pleasure.

**(24 hours later)**

Optimus as well as the other Autobots stood in front of the screen, while the president detected once more. The younglings watched from afar listening to the meeting; they didn't understand everything going on. However they did know when their creators were upset and this sent the four younglings yelling at the president.

"What gives you the right to talk to our creators that way, you fragger?" demanded Spitfire.

"**SPITFIRE ENOUGH…!" **Ratchet yelled.

When Dragonfly started to rattle in Spanish, Goldbug shot him an angry look. This quieted the youngling, but Ironstrike was warming his small cannons.

"Let me shoot him." snarled Ironstrike snarled.

"**Stand down, boy!"** Ironhide ordered as Andromeda walked up to her mother and father.

"Mother…?" Andromeda replied as Optimus turned toward her both pain and anger in his optics confusing the youngling thinking the anger was directed at her for some reason.

"Andromeda not now, go with the others right now." Optimus responded.

"But…"

"Not now, we have work to do." Barricade replied as Andromeda nodded as walked away.

The other three younglings followed her, as she headed outside her spark breaking slightly. Mudflap and Skids came out talking to each other mumbling about the younglings, and as always their remarks had a way hitting others in very bad ways.

"They do not belong on the base, they are not soldiers they are annoying younglings." Skids replied as Andromeda and Spitfire spun around optics flaring with anger.

"She is a future Prime, you pit spawned glitch head!" Spitfire snarled.

"Not yet she ain't, not that anyone would want her anyway, or listen to her." Mudflap growled.

"Why are you being such an aft?" Dragonfly snarled.

"Like you don't deserve no one wants you four here." Mudflap retorted as Spitfire lunged at Mudflap.

She tackled him, but she was so much smaller than Mudflap, he pushed her off with no problem.

"You are both stupid." Skids muttered.

"**Get off the base, no one wants you here not even your parents."** Mudflap said.

"Why do you think they get so disgusted with your pranks, and why they dismissed you so eagerly at the meeting?" Skids demanded.

"You're lying!" Andromeda yelled.

"Are we? Funny cuz, if we were why do you four punks look like you just lost your best friends?" Skids demanded.

Ironstrike pointed his cannons at both bots, and snarled.

"Slaggers…" Ironstrike growled, as Spitfire put a hand on his servos.

"Come on, we'll leave like they want." Spitfire whispered as the other younglings followed.

Andromeda glanced back at the twins, who merely sneered and waved. She couldn't help but think something was not right; their parents loved them why would they turn their backs on them...Why?

Spitfire and Andromeda left a disk on the ground for all the parents, letting them know they would never be back to make them happy. Spitfire transformed and the others climbed onboard, and she took off.

The second they took off, Starcrusher came out of the shadows. He chuckled and waved his hand slightly, and the two figures of Mudflap and Skids disappeared.

"Things are looking up yes they are indeed." he replied, as he put his arms up and teleported away with no one the wiser.

**(Outside the hanger – Lennox, Epps and Graham spot the disk)**

"What's this?" Lennox asked.

"Maybe someone dropped a music disk?" Graham suggested.

"Major….?" called the rich baritone of Optimus Prime.

"What's up Prime?" Lennox asked.

"We seem to have lost track of the younglings after the meeting, have you seen them?" Optimus asked.

"No, but that's a good thing, isn't it? They are behaving." he chuckled.

"Quite, please let me know if you see my daughter, will you?" he asked.

"Sure thing….." Will said, as he headed for the office to test the disk and see what was on it.

**(Several minutes later – in the office)**

Will, Epps and Graham were dumbfounded by the words of Spitfire and Andromeda.

"They ran away?" Epps asked in a shocked tone.

"Come on, we have to show this to the others." Lennox replied as the three men ran into the hanger where the bots were. "Optimus…. You, Barricade and the others have to see this." Lennox said as he placed the disk in the computer for the big screen to play. "We found this outside, we thought it was a music disk; but trust me it's not." he replied as the screen flashed with Spitfire and Andromeda both with energon tears running down their cheek plates.

**(Message from Spitfire and Andromeda)**

Spitfire spoke first. "We are really sorry for whatever embarrassment we caused you, and we won't bother you ever again….."

Andromeda started talking when Spitfire couldn't continue. "Mudflap and Skids gave us your message loud and clear, we don't belong on the base. We didn't mean to make anyone angry or hate us; we'll be gone and never come back like you wanted. But mother and father please know I will always love you no matter how badly I disappointed you. Mother, I know I will never be the Prime you are, I…. I'm sorry please find it in your spark to forgive me." Andromeda cried as the message stopped.

Optimus and Megatron spun around optics landing on the twins.

"You will explain yourselves to us and **Pray to Primus we are in a forgiving mood**!" Optimus snarled as the twins backed up not understanding what was going on.

"Wez, never said no such thing to them, yo wez swears! We was here the whole damn time the meeting was on check the tapes." Skids said.

"**Don't lie to us!"** Megatron roared his fusion cannon coming to life.

"**Our younglings are out there Primus knows where because of you two!" **Ironhide yelled.

"Wez did nothing we swears!" exclaimed Mudflap.

Goldbug was crying as Bumblebee tried to hold her gently to make her calm down.

"What are we going to do, Bumblebee?" she cried.

"We'll look for them, and we will find them." Bumblebee vowed.

Ratchet glared at the twins.

"They can't get far Spitfire is strong but she's still a youngling and will need rest from flying." Ratchet said.

Starscream and his trine transformed, and shot into the air.

"We'll do a sweep of the area, Megatron." Starscream replied.

Optimus was able to pick up his daughter's signature quickly though, and went into the hanger, and got Ratchet to help him with Jetfire's jets.

Optimus stopped in front of his brother.

"I will find them…." Optimus replied as Megatron nodded.

He took off into the air as well to bring back his daughter, and the others back to their families.

**(Where the Younglings are)**

"Guys, I have to land I am getting really tired." Spitfire remarked.

"What's wrong with you, you ain't like your mother, that's for sure." Dragonfly hissed.

"What is that slagging term, that human Lennox says, oh yeah **BITE ME!"** she snarled as she landed.

Suddenly the ground rumbled, and sinister laughter was heard by the younglings. Andromeda spun around facing the area where she heard the laughter, but she didn't see anything at first.

"Who's there?" she asked as she brought out her small energon blade.

Suddenly Starcrusher emerged from the shadows his optics turning from red to black back to blood red.

"What are such innocent younglings doing all by themselves and unprotected?" Starcrusher asked.

Spitfire narrowed her optics.

"We are not innocent and we can kick aft, she's a Prime so back off!" she snarled.

Starcrusher laughed once more, this only irritating the younglings further.

"You will never be a Prime, little femme and do you want to know why?" Starcrusher asked.

Andromeda snarled and went after the mech who dared to insult her.

"Do you have any idea who my mother is and my father?" she demanded.

"Optimus Prime and Barricade and let's see the other femme belongs to Megatron and Ratchet." he answered looking at the two little mechs. "You belong to Ironhide and Lightning formerly known as Samuel James Witwicky and you are belong to Bumblebee and Goldbug formerly known as Leo Spitz. So how am I doing younglings, did I get it right?" he demanded. "Now back to the question you will never be Prime, because I am going to rip your body to pieces and dump your mangled body off to your mother." he mused.

"Y….you tricked us somehow it was you all along." Andromeda whispered.

"What…?" Spitfire asked shocked. "How….?"

Starcrusher snapped his fingers, and as if by magic Mudflap and Skids appeared, and then disappeared.

Spitfire snarled, and ran toward Starcrusher.

"**NO SPITFIRE, DON'T!" **Andromeda yelled, as Starcrusher grabbed Spitfire by her servo lifting her higher and twisting, until she screamed.

"I'm going to slagging blow you apart!" Ironstrike growled warming his cannons.

"NO, you'll hit Spitfire!" Andromeda warned, but he fired anyway, and Starcrusher caught the cannon blast in his fist.

There were no marks, no bleeding of energon, he wasn't injured at all!

"He ain't injured what the slag?" Ironstrike snapped shocked.

"Wow, isn't that a kick in the head?" Starcrusher asked.

He looked at Spitfire, and very calmly ripped her one servo out, as she screamed in agony. Her precious energon falling onto the ground, as her cousin and friends looked on in horror.

"Spitfire no…" Ironstrike growled, as Andromeda looked at the Con snarling and did what she knew her mother would do protect those that were important to her.

Andromeda ran up and copying Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker's moves she had watched them do. She jumped up and twisted her body flipping over and readying her sword. However Starcrusher was faster and he brought his sword up, and sliced her left servo and part of her leg. The future Prime collapsed onto the ground spiting energon out of her mouth.

"You know younglings; this would be a lesson to you never to fight someone much more powerful then yourselves. I found there is an Earth villain who speaks in riddles his name is The Riddler. Alas, like on Cybertron there are villains and some heroes, this villain's hero goes by some crazy name of Batman. So, let's have a riddle shall we, younglings? Well then riddle me this when isn't a Cybertronian a Cybertronian?" Starcrusher asked, as Dragonfly went to Andromeda who was screaming in pain.

"You're insane!" Spitfire spat.

"Am I?" Starcrusher asked himself.

He glanced at the two mechs then.

"Oh look you both have your servos intact, let's see if we can change that, shall we?" Starcrusher mused, as he went to move closer missiles erupted everywhere.

He looked up and Optimus, Starscream and his trine were arriving.

"Oh look, mommy's here Andromeda." Starcrusher muttered as the four mechs landed firing altogether at their target.

However when they stopped their target stood unscathed, Optimus looked startled by this develop.

"**GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER." **Optimus ordered.

"Our little battle is far from over in fact it's just begun, it's just a shame I couldn't have brought your daughter's offlined body to you." he said as Optimus snarled. "Oh yes, by the way before I go a message of caution, well then, when isn't a Cybertronian a Cybertronian?" Starcrusher asked as he looked directly into Optimus Prime's optics. "Stumped…?" Starcrusher chuckled and then got deadly serious. "When he's a God's son…" he snarled as he held his arms up and teleported away.

Optimus bend down and scooped his badly injured daughter into his servos.

"Mom, I am so sorry I tried to protect like you would…." she whispered.

"Shhh, my sweetspark, I love you." Optimus whispered as he turned to Starscream. "Take Spitfire with you, Star and your trine must take the little mechs." Optimus said his voice urgent as Starscream grabbed his servo.

"Optimus, was he saying what I think he's saying?" Starscream asked.

Optimus held Andromeda close kissing her cheek plate, and gazing at Starscream said the words that made Starscream, and his trine shiver.

"Yes, he is the son of Unicron, Primus help us and Earth." Optimus whispered.

**(Autobot base – Medical bay)**

Everyone had questioned Optimus and the Seekers, about who had done the damage to Andromeda and Spitfire. Optimus waited until Ratchet had the two little femmes sedated and then got all the mechs to follow him.

"Who dared to injure my little daughter, Optimus?" demanded Megatron.

Optimus glanced away from his brother, fear shining in his optics for the first time.

"Optimus….?" Megatron asked suddenly not liking the look in his brother's optics.

"We are up against someone who much more powerful than the Fallen." was all Optimus said.

"Who…?" asked Sideswipe.

"He identified himself as Unicron's son Starcrusher." Optimus answered.

The gasps were enough, everyone knew what this meant. They would be fighting a God's son and no one would be safe.

"We have to find a new base of operations; Starcrusher knows this one and could attack it any time. As soon as the younglings are healed up we move our base of operations." Optimus replied.

"How did we miss Unicron's son, when Unicron was vanquished, Optimus….?" Ironhide asked.

"It is unclear; he must have hidden him somewhere perhaps in another dimension from this one. One thing is clear the younglings are targets, and I will not let this unholy evil piece of slag touch my daughter again." Optimus snarled.

"He must have been behind the fake Mudflap and Skids too; he lured the younglings away with some sort of parlor trick." Barricade said.

Bumblebee was holding Dragonfly tightly, and making a sad sound. He hadn't let the little mech out of his servos. He only let Goldbug hold him and then he held him the rest of the time.

Ironhide and Lightning were the same way, Ironstrike whimpered slightly.

"I tried father I tried to shoot him when he had Spitfire, but he caught the bullets in his hand never once getting injured. I am sorry I am not like you, but I tried." Ironstrike whispered peering at Megatron and Optimus. "I am sorry Megatron, I am so sorry Optimus I am not much of a warrior like my father." Ironstrike whispered.

Optimus and Megatron went to Ironhide who handed his little mech to his leader.

"You tried to protect them Ironstrike, and considering whom you were up against; I believe you were very brave." Optimus replied.

"Really…?" the little mech asked.

"Yes, he's right; you showed great bravery today. Thank you for trying to protect the femmes." Megatron said.

The little mech glanced back at his parents, who nodded.

"Will Spitfire and Andromeda be okay?" Ironstrike asked.

"Yes, they will." Optimus said as he hugged the mech.

Lennox and Epps approached the bots concern etched on both of their faces.

"We talked to General Morshower, and there is an old base built underground its far underground. There will be enough room for all of you and enough rooms for NEST troops. My advice is as soon as your daughters can be moved we start heading for it. I got my men taking the equipment down, and packing it away, and the C-17's are heading here. How are your daughters doing?" Lennox asked.

"They will be okay, but they lost a lot of energon, and their circuits are rattled." Megatron answered.

"Is it true we are up against a son of a God?" Epps asked in an uneasy tone.

Silence…..

"Yes, Unicron's son…." Optimus answered.

"So is he your kind's version of Satan?" Epps asked.

"Yes and Primus is our God." Optimus replied.

"So, he basically can't be killed, is that what you're saying?" Epps asked nervously.

Silence…..

"We didn't kill Unicron; he is just vanquished in another realm and forbidden to enter this one." Optimus answered clearly distracted.

"Optimus, we will find a way to stop Starcrusher." Megatron said.

"I know, brother; I just cannot seem to remove that image of my daughter so badly injured like she was. They are just younglings, and he has targeted them." Optimus said.

"Just like Satan he comes to kill, steal and destroy." Epps remarked.

"Indeed…" was all Optimus said.

**(Medical bay – Andromeda's mind)**

"Little Prime, open your optics." commanded a vibrant and strong voice.

Andromeda opened her optics, and was almost blinded by the bright light shining in front of her. She knew almost instantly who was speaking to her, and bowed her head.

"Primus…." Andromeda replied in respect.

"Child, you have a destiny to save not just your mother and father; but everyone on Earth. You were sent to Optimus for a reason, your destiny is to take down Starcrusher. You must lay down your life for your parents and friends, so they can live and bring back Cybertron back its glory." Primus explained as the young Prime didn't cry, didn't feel fear of any kind.

Why would she it was her destiny, and she was sent to her parents as a gift from Primus himself?

"My parents will be sad." was all she said.

"Yes, it will make all sad, but Optimus more so. He will conceive once more, but nothing can prepare a parent for a child's death even when they are older. This battle will not take place for quite a while and **YOU** **MUST NOT** **TELL ANYONE**." Primus said as she nodded.

"I promise…" was all she said.

**(Out of the dream realm)**

Andromeda onlined her optics and looked at Ratchet, who was tending to her cousin. She smiled sadly knowing Spitfire would also miss her, she and Spitfire were the ones who thought up all the pranks together.

Ratchet looked up seeing Andromeda online.

"How do you feel?" Ratchet asked.

"Better thanks Ratchet, how is Spitfire?" she asked.

"She will be fine and back to her mischievous self in no time." Ratchet said.

"I heard that…" Spitfire whispered.

Ratchet chuckled then trying to make light of the situation, which was now extremely serious.

**(The Autobot base – Medical bay)**

Andromeda watched Ratchet with his daughter; the door opened slowly and in came the future Prime's mother and father and then behind them Megatron walked in checking on his daughter.

Andromeda glanced up seeing her mother and father walk up, and then sit by her. She saw the sadness in her mother's optics, and she realized why because of her bad injuries she had sustained.

"Mother, father, I tried I'm sorry I tried." Andromeda replied, as energon tears fell from her optics.

Optimus gathered her in his servos holding her tightly, while Barricade gently touched her face.

"This isn't your fault, sweetspark." Barricade said.

"I am supposed to be a Prime like mom, and I couldn't even stop him from hurting Spitfire." Andromeda whispered, as Optimus held her tightly kissing her cheek.

"Andromeda, you can't be expected to be like me sweetspark; I have been Prime for so very long. She were up against a very powerful foe, you cannot blame yourself you are just a youngling." Optimus said softly, as she held onto her mother so tightly.

Megatron glanced over at his niece, the look in her optics bothered Megatron.

"You are brave, Andromeda." Spitfire replied. "You're going to make an awesome Prime someday."

Andromeda only cried harder knowing someday for her would never be. The door opened once more and in came Ironstrike who ran to Spitfire, whom got right next to Spitfire grabbed her hugging her. Then he grumped.

"Glad your okay….." he replied roughly as Ratchet smiled.

"Like father like son." Ratchet rumbled, as little Dragonfly came straight to Andromeda.

Dragonfly hugged her tightly resting her head on his shoulder, and caressing her helm.

"I was so worried about you; you mean the world to me." Dragonfly said, as he handed her a stuffed teddy bear. "Humans give special mates these things, Lennox and Epps said so this is for you." Dragonfly said as all Andromeda could do was cry.

Dragonfly glanced at Optimus and Barricade confused.

"She sure cries a lot." Dragonfly replied with a crooked smile trying to make her smile.

But this time Andromeda couldn't smile, she was suddenly thinking of everyone who would be left behind when she fulfilled her destiny.

"I can't do this, I am sorry." she cried as she pushed Dragonfly away, and flipped off the berth startling everyone.

Andromeda ran out the medical bay and straight through the hanger outside, where all the NEST soldiers were packing and getting ready for the change of bases.

Andromeda paced back and forth looking toward the sky.

"Why was I given this destiny, there will be too many hurt by it?" she demanded as she heard a sound behind her.

Andromeda figured her mother would be behind her, but to her surprise it was her Uncle Megatron.

"Uncle Megatron?"

"Come along, child; we need to talk." Megatron said as he picked her up.

Megatron took her to a private area of the base; he sat down and sighed slowly.

"Not many know the real story behind the old feud between your mother and I; it all started when Optimus was told he was the next Prime. I wanted to be Prime I was older, and figured I had the right to the title not your mother. I felt your mother was weak, but he wasn't… not really. He was able to do things I couldn't do; he was able to talk his way out of fights; while I rushed head first into battles. Primes are born. Your mother made a lot of tough choices to stop my greed of taking the Allspark. These choices to this day have taken a toll on his spark, sometimes choices have to be made for the greater good." Megatron replied.

"Even choices that will in the long run hurt everyone especially my parents." she whispered as Megatron glanced down at the youngling.

"Sometimes things are really what they seem; sometimes there are ways around things." Megatron replied.

Andromeda glanced at her Uncle.

"I have to be brave I am a Prime." she said.

"Andromeda destinies and prophecies are not always written in stone, some are given to us as a test." Megatron replied.

"But I thought that destinies were unchangeable." Andromeda replied.

"Now, you listen to your Uncle Megatron okay?" he replied, as she smiled sadly and nodded. "Stop worrying about this things have a way of working out, you just need to believe." Megatron replied.

She wrapped her servos around her uncle, as he chuckled holding onto her tightly.

"Let's go join the others, shall we?" Megatron asked as he and Andromeda headed for the medical bay.

Andromeda felt a little better after her talk with her uncle, she ran toward her mother and father. Barricade lifted her into the air nuzzling her as Optimus smiled at the sight. Dragonfly tapped Optimus and he bent down and lifted the youngling up into his arms.

Dragonfly leaned over toward Andromeda.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked sadly.

"No, come here ya little rug rat." Andromeda replied, grabbing the little mech, and planting a kiss on his lip plates.

"**WOW**, you should take her out for more talks, Megatron." Dragonfly stated with a grin, as he grabbed Andromeda and returned the kiss to her.

"Oh he's definitely got his daddy's charms." Goldbug said coming into the medical bay with Bumblebee.

Bumblebee just chuckled and gave his little mech a high five, he had learned from Sam when he was human.

Ironstrike glanced over at Spitfire and growled, he had thought he would lose that wild little femme. He growled louder, and pulled her closer shocking everyone including Ratchet and Megatron by planting a firm kiss on Spitfire's lip plates.

Ratchet glanced over at Megatron, who merely shrugged as the two younglings continued to kiss.

"Okay, don't you two think you should come up for air." Ratchet grumbled.

"We don't need air….." Ironstrike mumbled as Ironhide and Lightning came in.

Ratchet glanced at Ironhide and Optimus.

"See, ask a stupid question, and get a stupid answer." Ratchet remarked sourly.

Ironstrike looked up at Ratchet.

"Can she be released now?" he asked.

"Yes, but we have to get ready to load up everyone, youngling." Ratchet said.

"For what, where we going…?" Spitfire asked.

Optimus sighed then.

"We must go to a new base; this one is compromised by Starcrusher." Optimus replied, as Andromeda held onto both Dragonfly, and her teddy bear he give her.

Dragonfly glanced at his father, mother and the others; he realized things were truly bad when they had to change their base. However he didn't care as long as he had Andromeda, his family and friends.

General Morshower decided no one else outside of NEST, would know about the new base underground not even the president. The general had enough of the president's negative views on the Autobots and ex- Cons; yes he had been one of the doubters before. However he had witnessed the actions of Barricade, the Seekers and even Megatron. They had truly changed, and who was he or anyone else for that matter to say they hadn't. So, he and John Keller had made arrangements to transfer the bots in secret to their new base underground.

Barricade stayed by Optimus' side during the whole trip, Ratchet and Megatron stayed together (Megs staying in tank form) and then Ironhide and Lightning; while Bumblebee and Goldbug stayed together. The Seekers were flying next to the C-17's following as well as protecting them from any possible problems.

Jolt was in the one C-17 with Mudflap and Skids; he was unusually silent even for him. Skids started to question the blue Volt about it, who was silent at first; that is until Skids wouldn't take the hint.

"Come on yo; you's need to tell us." Skids replied.

Silence…

"Yo, come on spill your guts." Mudflap ordered.

"Fine….!" he snapped.

Silence…

"I care about someone, but I am not sure if the mech would even look twice at me." Jolt replied.

This seemed to perk both twins up completely.

"Who is da lucky mech?" Skids asked.

Silence…..

"Oh come on, yo man tell us." Mudflap said as Jolt vented, but decided to tell them.

"Starscream…"

Skids and Mudflap were inexplicably quiet, and it was unnerving to Jolt because of it. What he didn't want was for those two to blab what he told them, before he could muster enough courage to approach the jet himself. As it was, it was hard to find a mech who could handle his electric whips, so he always ended up alone. He was tired of being alone, he wanted a mate. The worst thing in this whole universe was war and loneliness; he knew usually Seekers looked down on grounders. But he thought maybe just maybe he could find a match in the egotistical jet.

"Listen you two keep your traps shut, or so help me I will weld them shut myself." Jolt warned as they chuckled impishly.

It was then he realized he would have to talk to Starscream by private com, and talk to him, before they landed on the new base.

:::: Jolt to Starscream come in:::::::

:::: Hey grounder, what do you want?::::::

Silence…..

:::::: I have a question to ask you:::::::

:::::: Okay, so ask it already::::::::

:::::: Do… Do you….well you know::::::

Silence…

:::::: No, I don't know why don't you tell me::::::

::::: Do…you have a mate?::::::::

:::: Are you asking me out?::::::

:::::: Yes, I am::::::

Starscream was inwardly smirking, he liked this Autobot. He also liked the electricwhip idea; Starscream was tossing the idea of being submissive with the little Autobot.

:::::: I like the idea of your whips:::::::

Silence once more…

:::::: Okay::::::::

:::::: I have strange desires though Autobot, so if we are going to be mates you have to be willing to share with my trine. You'd be my mate alone, but sometimes my trine may want us to join them in other activities. Will this bother you?::::::

Jolt was silent only for a few mere seconds, and then he answered.

:::::::::: I have no problem with that arrangement, Star:::::::::

:::::: Very well Jolt, we will try this relationship and see how it lasts:::::::

::::: Good:::::::

Jolt felt a little better about the situation regarding Starscream now, and he vented a little and tried to relax from one of the situations taken care of.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – Arrival at the new base

Optimus and Barricade drove out of the C-17, and followed Lennox's lead. They were heading for a massive mountain, they watched as a gigantic metal door opened. Everyone was led further underground, it seemed never-ending to the Autobots.

::: It seems like we'll never reach the slagging bottom of this base, doesn't it?:::

Silence…

:::: Prime, are you okay?::::

::: I am worried about our daughter; her mood swings are bothering me. Something is wrong, but I cannot get her to confide in me::::::::

:::: She'll be okay, Optimus::::::

:::: We have a deadly situation brewing and I fear no one will come out of this battle unscathed:::::::

:::::: You need a distraction, Optimus:::::::

Those words only caused the unsettled Prime to chuckle, Barricade's words and actions always took his processors off of his worries.

:::::: Thank you, Barricade::::::

::::::: For what?::::::

:::::: For loving me::::::::

Barricade made a low rumbling sound; he loved Optimus so much. The legendary Prime was his whole world, he just prayed to Primus that Optimus didn't do anything stupid like some self sacrificing thing to save everyone from Starcrusher. Because, then he'd really have to kick his mate's aft then.

All the Autobots drove way down underground, and when they finally reached where it ended. Everyone transformed into their bipedal modes and looked around.

"Everyone can pick their quarters; also listen up everything in this base is completely different. No one can get in or out without the right codes or the failsafe codes. This base also hides your signatures from anyone, so we're safe that way as well." Lennox replied.

"The president doesn't know where we're at either, which was done for everyone's safety." Epps replied.

"Indeed…." Ratchet replied as Megatron placed a clawed hand on his mate's shoulder.

"Wow, this place is huge." Sideswipe stated looking around.

"It's like completely bigger than Diego Garcia altogether even." Sunstreaker said.

"Yo, it's da biggest place we'z ever seen for a base yet." Mudflap replied.

Spitfire and Ironstrike came out from one of the rooms smirking.

"We found a room we'd like to have…together." Spitfire announced as Ratchet and Megatron, along with Ironhide and Lightning stared at them their optics a blaze with something a keen to anger.

"Young lady, what in Primus name makes you think, we would agree to let you share a room with Ironstrike at such a young age?" Ratchet demanded as Spitfire opened her mouth to answer her father, but he stopped her. "Don't even go there this topic is off the discussion board." Ratchet remarked.

"Mother…" Spitfire whined.

Megatron cast an angry glare at his daughter, who quickly got the message topic was now closed. Spitfire saw Andromeda and Dragonfly come out of another room after checking it out. They were holding hands and swinging their hands, Spitfire smirked knowing her cousin was going to try the same thing. 'Good luck with that' Spitfire seemed to be mouthing to her cousin.

"Hey mom, can…"

"**NO!"** both Optimus and Barricade ordered.

"Wait a sec; I didn't even finish my question." Andromeda whined.

"Kid-o, one thing you kids have to learn parents are always one step ahead of you…..ALWAYS." Lennox remarked.

"But mother…" Andromeda complained, slightly ignoring Lennox with a pout.

"Don't mother me, the answer is still no." Optimus replied.

"This slagging sucks…" she mumbled.

"What was that?" Barricade demanded.

"Nothing….." Andromeda quickly replied realizing she was slipping into her cousin's habit of cursing.

"Do not sass your mother, youngling." Barricade retorted.

"But he is Bumblebee's little mech, and look how polite and nice he is." Andromeda said.

Optimus had to fight from smirking at her crafty arguments. Then he also remembered what they were up against, and how fragile life was especially with this new foe. His spark raced with conflict, he wanted to let Andromeda do her thing and be trusted. She was young, but this situation was dire and to deny her the chance to find love would be wrong.

::::: Barricade, I feel maybe we should let them go ahead and share quarters::::::

Barricade looked shocked to say the least.

::::: Are you sure?:::::

Silence…..

::::: Yes, I am::::::::

::::: Okay, I support your decision:::::::::

:::::: Thanks::::::::

"As long as Dragonfly's parents okay it, then we will okay it." Optimus replied, as he held up his hand. "So long as you too show each other respect okay and NO interfacing understood?"

Andromeda lit up then, and ran to her parents, and hugged them.

"Thank you, thank you." she said.

Spitfire glanced at Ratchet and Megatron her optics pleading; she pouted and gave a Cybertronian version of the puppy dog pout. Naturally for as rough and tough as Ratchet and Megatron were, neither was any match for the puppy dog pout.

"Arrrg, fine you win!" Ratchet and Megatron exclaimed.

Ratchet turned toward Optimus then, and pointed at him.

"I blame you… soft spark…." mumbled Ratchet stomping away from the other, then he stopped at Megatron. "Well are you coming to help me pick out our quarters or not, or do I have to get a leash for you too." Ratchet snarled as Megatron tilted his head and pretended to be annoyed at the doc bot's words. "Oh please, you like it!" Ratchet retorted before he could say anything.

"Oh he's funny; he needs to go on American Idol." Megatron retorted.

"Get over here right now you slagging glitch head!" yelled Ratchet and turned toward their daughter. "**YOU** behave no monkey business!"

"What the slag is monkey business?" Ironhide asked Lightning.

"It's a human phrase…" Lightning answered.

"Oh Primus, Ratchet's been around the humans too long, he's picking up their phrases now." Starscream said, as he watched Jolt heatedly.

Ratchet found a long chain and roped it around Megatron; like he was some steer for the catching.

"Come on, I am not in the mood for any nonsense from you." Ratchet grumbled as he pulled Megatron to the one of the rooms. "This will be perfect, now get in there." Ratchet ordered.

Megatron glanced back at Optimus.

"You're on your own, brother; I am not going up against Ratchet when he's like that." Optimus chuckled.

"Smart mech….." Ratchet replied as the door shut.

Optimus just shook his head, and watched as his men spread out picking their new quarters. Barricade slid his claw into Optimus' hand making his mate shiver in response. Barricade knew actually just how to make Optimus purr, he chuckled.

Andromeda watched her parents with a smirk.

"You two need to go find a room." she said in a snarky tone.

"Our daughter is pretty wise, wouldn't you say?" Optimus asked.

"Smart or smart at being a smart aft…?" Barricade chuckled.

"Who me….?" Andromeda asked innocently.

Her words and expressions made everyone laugh.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"It means try that innocent look on someone who doesn't know you, sweetspark." Optimus said.

"Yes, she's **VERY** good." Dragonfly replied as Optimus and Barricade stared down at the little mech not really amused by the statement.

He giggled nervously.

"Did I say that out loud, my bad." Dragonfly replied.

Andromeda rolled her optics.

"Not helping….." Andromeda mused.

**(The White House)**

The president sat looking out the window, when he heard a banging noise coming from several bookshelves. He got up looking annoyed, and went to the one shelf and hit a button. The shelf opened, and he slipped into the secret opening and walked down into a secret area. He smiled, as he opened another door.

"You know, you really need to keep quiet, because no one can help you. Want to know why… Because they think I am you." he said as he turned staring at the **REAL** president. "And you see these orders?" he asked showing the president the papers in his hand. "Well, they are orders to find the Autobots, and run them off the planet by any means necessary. Of course, the fallen wants everyone on this miserable planet to hate the Autobots, this will throw the leader off his game." the imposter replied as he saw the president want to talk. "Oh, you want to speak do you?" he asked as he removed the gag.

"Who are you?" the president demanded.

That earned him a snarl, as the double in front of him started to change. He saw a machine the size of a human in front of him then.

"Not who…but what, I am a Decepticon pretender, and my mission is plain make the Autobots and NEST think the president is against them." he snarled as the president's eyes widened in shock and fear, because he seemed to be at the mercy of this creature.

**(Bumblebee and Goldbug's quarters)**

Bumblebee watched his mate with love in those blue optics of his, as she smiled at him.

"Dragonfly is growing up so fast, isn't he?" she asked.

"Yes, he is; he has made quite an impression with Andromeda." Bee said as Goldbug became silent, thus alerting Bumblebee that she was distressed. "What's wrong?" he asked tilting his head.

"I'm scared Bee, I mean really scared; what if that new enemy can't be stopped?" she asked frantically.

Bumblebee didn't want think about that not now none of them did. Bumblebee pulled her close gently touching, and nuzzling her face.

"I swear to you I will keep you and Dragonfly safe, Goldbug." Bumblebee said as he tenderly took her into his arms. "That's why we are in this new base, which hides our signatures. This way we can plan our own strategy against this new foe and the fallen." Bumblebee said as she quieted down in his arms.

Bumblebee guided her over to their berth, he just snuggled her against his body trying to keep her safe and calm. However Bumblebee was no fool or stupid, he knew that Starcrusher was a serious threat to everyone especially the four younglings.

**(Ratchet and Megatron's quarters)**

Megatron watched Ratchet, as he unchained him. He could tell by the movements that the gruff CMO was distracted by his own concerns about the current situation.

"Ratchet…"

"What….?" Ratchet demanded gruffly.

Silence…..

"It's just like when we faced Unicron, we lost a lot of friends battling Unicron. Only now there are four younglings in the mix, one of which is our daughter who I had to patch up." Ratchet remarked.

"We will stop Starcrusher, Ratchet; we will crush him before he has a chance to blink." Megatron replied.

Ratchet glanced at Megatron who gave him a smile with his sharp fangs, which Ratchet could hardly ignore.

"Come here, maybe you just need to get merged senseless for awhile." Megatron said motioning toward Ratchet.

**(Several hours later**…**Decepticon base)**

"We cannot locate their signatures anywhere, master." Shockwave said.

"Optimus Prime is getting smarter; no matter we will find them. Are the preparations ready?" the fallen demanded.

"Yes master, Starcrusher's mate is ready." Shockwave said.

"And what of the minicon with her?" the fallen demanded.

"He got away."

The fallen looked displeased at this….

"Find him and destroy him." was his only response.

Silence….

"Yes master…." Shockwave said.

"Bring her out….." the fallen ordered.

They watched as several drones brought a fighting femme out, the femme's voice eerily sounding like Mikaela Banes.

"LET** ME GO!"** she screamed as she saw the fallen.

"I would suspect you know a lot about the Autobots, don't you?" the fallen remarked.

"DROP DEAD….." she snarled.

"Feisty….I do like a feisty femme." Starcrusher remarked coming out into the open.

"Who the hell are you?" she snapped.

"Starcrusher, your mate and new master." he calmly, said approaching her with speed and crushing her against his body. "You will help us defeat the Autobots, won't you my dear, Mikaela Banes or better yet Deathstar."

Deathstar smiled her optics turning evil now, and then answering him with a simple "Yes, my love."

Deathstar watched the night sky with a heavy spark, she never asked for any of this. She remembered Sam's words when all this started 'fifty years from now don't you want to say you had the guts to get into the car.'

She shook her head, how was she supposed to keep up this sham of pretending to care about Starcrusher. How could Wheelie find the Autobots in time, hell why would they even bother to save her? She had dissed their favorite human, why would they bother? She felt energon tears fall from her optics, how could she redeem herself in their eyes after hurting Sam?

She thought back how she was so stupid to get captured by the Fallen in the first place.

**(Flashback starts)**

Mikaela sat watching television and munching on popcorn, when she thought she heard a noise outside. She went to grab a flashlight, and headed outside. She looked around seeing nothing that really looked out of place. She went to turn back toward her door, when there was a flash of light. She could barely just scream, as she was grabbed by a massive hand.

She was brought to face the Fallen; she was both terrified and angered at the same time.

"What do you want with me?" she had demanded.

"You will remain silent unless I want you to speak." the fallen growled.

"Yeah and who died, and made you boss?" she demanded in a snarky tone.

The fallen glanced at her, his burning red optics narrowing.

"You have much to learn about respect, you pathetic waste of existence." the fallen snarled.

"Oh really, dare I say you must need me for whatever scheme your trying to pull off." she replied.

The fallen laughed evilly then.

"So, you're not as stupid as you look." he remarked.

"I'm not stupid, but you're out of luck if you're taking me, because of the Autobots." she said spitefully.

"Is that so?" the fallen replied.

"Yes….." she snapped.

"You have much to learn human, much indeed."

"Hook, take her to the medical bay, we have plans for you human." he replied as she gulped back a saucy retort.

"Oh God, no." she whispered.

Hook had offered up several Autobot drones to Unicron, who regardless of his exile had the power to transform humans into Cybertronians. This human was for his son, a feisty femme who would be a fine mate, who would breed more strong warriors of a God's son.

**(Flashback ends)**

"Optimus forgive me…." she cried her knees buckling, as she tried to think of something anything to get out of her situation.

It was then however she received blinding images in her processors, she screamed as the images hit her one after the other. She saw a young femme battling Starcrusher, she saw Optimus and Barricade they were crying holding the femme in their arms. Deathstar realized suddenly what she was being shown the femme was Optimus and Barricade's daughter. She had heard idle chatter about Barricade, the Seekers and Megatron defecting to the Autobots from Shockwave and Soundwave.

She didn't believe it at first, but now it made sense. She didn't understand at first why she was shown these images. What the hell could she do, she wasn't a warrior she couldn't do anything…..Could she?

**(A lone road)**

A lone RC Ford F - Series Monster truck along a safe dirt path road trying to stay off the roads far more traveled. Wheelie wasn't sure who he could trust, but he knew he could trust the Autobots. The question was how would he get to them, it wasn't like he knew where their base was located. He needed help, but didn't know where to turn too.

He knew he should get in touch with someone, but whom? Then it dawned on him Simmons, he could help him. He headed to the place where he remembered Simmons had lived. He quickly found through his memory banks exactly where he needed to go.

Simmons was outside the deli sighing, as he packed up some of his stuff putting them into his car.

"Simmons….." Wheelie said still in his RC form.

Simmons glanced down squinting when he saw the little RC bot, he growled and opened the passenger door picking up the RC truck and placing it into the car.

"Naturally my day couldn't get anymore stranger or worse, you have to arrive and make it more complicated, right?" Simmons said sarcastically.

"I need help alright, my warrior goddess is in the faller's clutches, and she was going to be given to Starcrusher who is the son of a God." Wheelie said.

"Yeah well, there is only one who can help us find the Autobots; they moved their base before they told me. I need to talk to the general and also talk to the president. He has been acting like a horse's ass lately regarding the Autobots." Simmons remarked.

"I can remember freshman saying you weren't too nice to the Autobots at one point, you took the Autobot scout and experimented on him." Wheelie mumbled.

"That was another time; I am not like that with them anymore." Simmons snapped.

Simmons frowned at the small ex-Con and called General Morshower, he was surprised with the answers he received. However someone was sent to meet Simmons to make arrangements to take them to the safety of the new base.

The general made it clear in no uncertain terms the president wasn't to be told where the new Autobot base was located. Simmons had no quarrel with that at all, after he was told about the odd behavior with the president.

**(Several hours later – On their way to the Autobot base)**

Wheelie had an awful feeling deep in his circuits that his warrior goddess was going to do something really stupid; and he couldn't do anything about it.

He stared at Simmons, and sighed.

"What….." Simmons asked.

"Nothing…" Wheelie snapped.

Simmons shrugged, and looked away.

"I am worried about my warrior goddess, I am afraid she will do something stupid." Wheelie replied.

"The kid's ex- criminal girlfriend….Yeah she doesn't have the best track record, does she?"

Simmons and Wheelie were taken to the new Autobot base; but on their way, they were taken to three different vehicles before being taken to the actual base.

**(New Autobot base)**

Wheelie told Optimus what had happened, the Autobot leader looked stressed once more.

"It seems we can't keep him without stress, can we?" Ratchet demanded.

"What are we going to do, boss bot?" Sideswipe asked.

"I am not sure; I do not know how Mikaela feels about us anymore. If she was taken to be mated with Starcrusher, she will become a hostile. However if there is a small part of the old Mikaela, we might be able to reason with her." Optimus replied taking a fleeting glance at Lightning.

Ironhide held onto Lightning possessively; nor wanting any part of Mikaela Banes.

"Do you know where the lair is Wheelie?" Optimus asked.

"Yeah, I can send you the location."

"Megatron and I will check it out the rest of you will stay here." Optimus replied.

"Mom no, let me come too." Andromeda replied.

"**NO….!"** Optimus ordered.

Andromeda crossed her servos her optics burning a bright blue, she cast a glance at her father.

"No Andromeda." he said firmly.

"I am a Prime too…" she retorted.

Optimus whirled around on his daughter so fast, it startled her.

"You were severely injured because of it; this is only a reconnaissance mission." Optimus remarked. "You will stay here, do I make myself clear." Optimus replied sternly.

"You're not indestructible mom; let me help you and Uncle Megatron." Andromeda replied.

"Sweetspark, the answer is no." Optimus said softly as she felt energon tears drop down her face.

She took off for her room with the other four younglings following her. Optimus hated being so strict on her, but it was necessary to keep her safe.

"Come on, brother; we need to go find out what they are up too." Megatron said as Optimus had his jets from Jetfire.

They took off and headed for the Con base, and what could very well be a suicide mission.

**(The Decepticon Base)**

Deathstar was watching the stars still; she always loved to watch the stars. She heard something behind her thinking it was Starcrusher, until she was met with a blinding light.

"HEY….." she mumbled.

"Mikaela Banes, you will have a destiny one that you will not survive. Put your servo out, I will give you the device capable of blowing Starcrusher into six pieces. They must be taken to separate places in the universe and buried, he won't be killed but he will no longer be a threat." the voice replied.

"But…..why do I have to die? I saw flashing images of Optimus and Barricade's daughter, and she did it and died. I mean I know it will crush Optimus and Barricade but I …. don't want to die." she cried. "Let her do it." Deathstar cried. "I am not a hero, I don't want that responsibility I can't do It." she cried.

Silence…..

"Let her do it, just leave me alone!" she yelled.

"Very well, perhaps I was truly wrong about you, Mikaela Banes; perhaps you really don't have greatness inside of you after all." the voice replied.

The light faded and as it did Deathstar fell onto her knees crying the weapon still in her servos.

"I am not a hero, I'm not….." she cried as her memories started to swirl.

**(Flashback to Mission City)**

"You have to get out of here Mikaela." Lennox ordered.

"I'm not leaving here without Bumblebee understand." Mikaela snarled as she wrapped the chains around the Autobot scout.

Several seconds later Lennox was in her face once more.

"I SAID **GET OUT OF HERE GIRL NOW!" Lennox yelled.**

"Alright I'm going, I'm going!" she snapped.

She drove into an alley, and stopped dropped her head to the steering wheel and cried. Then looked back up and back at Bumblebee who nodded at her, a look of determination on her face now. She threw the truck in reverse and headed back toward where the battle was.

"**I'll drive you shoot!" **she ordered.

She had helped Bumblebee take out Brawl that day, she had teamed with him to do what had to be done.

**(Flashback ends)**

She looked at the weapon on the floor, she touched it gently.

"I don't want to die….." was all she could say.

**(The Autobot base)**

Andromeda was pacing back and forth trying to think of a something, she wanted to help her mother and Uncle.

"I can't handle this anymore, I have to do help them." she growled going to Wheelie.

He looked at the little Prime oddly.

"What do you want toots?" he asked.

"Where is the Con base?" she demanded.

"Your mother already is on the way there, I can't tell you anyways." Wheelie said as she grabbed him looking him right in the optics.

"**TELL ME OR I WILL BURN YOUR LITTLE INTERFACING UNIT OFF."** she snarled.

"You wouldn't dare!" he exclaimed.

"Try me….." she snapped.

"Fine…" Wheelie growled sending her the location.

Andromeda pulled the weapon out, she had been given from Primus. She went to her father after; he was talking with Ratchet and Ironhide. She walked up and he looked over at her.

"What are you doing, Andromeda?" Barricade asked.

"I just wanted a hug, is all." she said as he picked her up.

"What are you up too?" he demanded.

"Nothing, can't I give my father a hug?" she asked innocently.

"Yes, if I didn't think you weren't up to something." he replied back.

Silence…..

"I love you and mother always don't forget that, promise me okay?" Andromeda answered.

Something hit Barricade it was a slice of fear that hit his circuits so deep, all he knew was he had to protect his and Optimus' youngling.

"We love you too, now go to your room, **NOW!" **he ordered as he put her down and tapped her on her aft. "Go…." he ordered.

"Why did you do that?" Ironhide demanded when they watched her go back to her room.

"She's up to something….." Ratchet answered for Barricade.

"That was too final; she is plotting to go help Optimus." Barricade replied.

"She's too young; she couldn't handle him before, what makes her think she can do it now?" Ironhide grumbled.

"Exactly….." Barricade remarked.

**(Andromeda's room)**

"I have to figure out how to get out of here to help." Andromeda mumbled.

"No, you need a distraction and someone who can fly." Spitfire remarked coming into her room with Ironstrike and Dragonfly.

"We will help with the distraction, while spitfire flies you to help your mom and her mother." Ironstrike replied.

Spitfire smirked.

"I am such a bad influence on you." she smirked.

Ironstrike growled then.

"You owe me some loving, when you get back." he snapped. "Or I will power up my cannons."

"Okay…." she whispered.

Dragonfly glanced at Andromeda.

"Don't die…" was all he said as he kissed her.

Spitfire turned, and grabbed her cousin by the hand.

"Let's get ready…." she said as they hid, and waited for their little mechs to distract the grownups.

Ironstrike and Dragonfly pretended to get into a fight, causing Ironhide and Bee to stomp over toward them.

"What are you two doing?" Bee asked.

"And am I going to have to beat you for it?" Ironhide asked his little mech.

"Where are the femmes?" Ratchet asked.

They all heard Spitfire's jet engines then, a look of pure horror crossed both Ratchet and Barricade's face plates.

"**NO….!"** Barricade and Ratchet yelled transforming and racing for the entrance.

The other Autobots transformed, and followed Ratchet and Barricade; so they could possibly help drag the two feisty femmes back to the base before it was too late.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 – The Sacrifice

**(Decepticon base)**

Optimus and Megatron landed not too far from the Con base, they watched the activity going on with heavy sparks. They heard sounds behind them, and there stood Starcrusher with an unreadable expression on his face.

"And here I thought I wouldn't get a chance to be able to play, I have to admit I have never torn a Prime apart. But I am going to enjoy taking you apart, Optimus, watching as your energon is parted from your body." Starcrusher replied as Optimus cringed at his viciousness.

Starcrusher saw the way Megatron stood protectively near his younger brother. A disgusted expression crossed his face plates, when he saw it.

"You were unstoppable as a villain, Megatron and now you side with your weak brother you are a sham and a traitor!" Starcrusher yelled.

"My place is beside my brother not with the fallen." Megatron snarled.

Starcrusher tackled Optimus slamming his fist into the Prime's stomach; Optimus got his legs up and pushed the bothersome foe off of him.

Unexpectedly however Shockwave, Soundwave and several drones came out to go after Megatron, while Optimus and Starcrusher battled it out. Optimus got several got shots at Starcrusher, but he was just too strong. Optimus never being one for quitting kept trying to figure out how to take down his foe.

Starcrusher however wouldn't let up; he pounded Optimus wounding him greatly. Optimus was coughing up energon; Megatron cast a glance at his brother and knew he needed a medic. He had to get his brother back to base and quickly. He used his fusion cannon on several drones blowing them out of existence. He was relatively shocked to see that Soundwave one of his most loyal warriors stayed with the fallen.

"**Optimus….!"** Megatron yelled.

"I don't intend to make your death fast, Prime; I am going to take my time and hear you beg for mercy. My father should have crushed you, but instead you tricked him and exiled him. **THAT** will not happen to me; I will slice your inner workings apart and watch as your energon flows out." Starcrusher snarled, as he rammed his fist into Optimus' stomach pulling out wiring.

Optimus arched up and roared in agony, as his circuits became frazzled. His repair systems tried to kick in and fix the injuries, but the damage was severe at the moment and if he continued to advance like this Optimus would be deactivated for sure.

**(Where Barricade and the others are driving)**

Barricade swerved, as he suddenly felt his mate's agony from horrible injuries.

"Slag it, hold on Optimus; we've coming." Barricade growled as he saw their daughter and Spitfire still.

"**THERE SPITFIRE…" **Andromeda shouted pointing at the battle below.

Spitfire sent a barrage of gunfire at Starcrusher, Shockwave, Soundwave; as most all of the drones her mother had destroyed. Optimus and Megatron glanced up and were both startled to see their younglings coming straight toward the battle.

However Andromeda had suddenly flipped off of her cousin landing on the ground. However something was looking slightly off with Andromeda for one thing, she was now the size she was in the dream world when she helped her mother and Uncle Megatron. She held a regal stance, her optics set in determination either way Starcrusher would be stopped.

"**GET OUT OF HERE!" **Optimus ordered.

"Mother, I love you and always will… I have to do this…." Andromeda replied. "This is my destiny; I will always love you and father." Andromeda cried as she ran at full force, as she flipped into the air bringing her fist right down connecting with Starcrusher's face.

Starcrusher wobbled slightly, his optics narrowing in disgust with her.

"My….. So you will be a challenge after all young Prime." Starcrusher snarled as he advanced on her.

Optimus struggled to his feet bringing out his energon swords.

"Andromeda….." he whispered as Andromeda slammed her fist into Starcrusher's chest sending him flying.

"Slag femme, you are good; I've got to hand it to Primus he was smart." Starcrusher remarked.

Andromeda backed up moving toward her mother, who was injured badly.

"Mother, listen to me okay; I love you. I will always love you and dad but I have to do this." she said as she ran her hand over her mother's face.

She saw how her mother was slowly registering her words, through the haze of pain.

"No, Andromeda please no." Optimus whispered, as energon fell from his optics.

"Stay back, mother please." Andromeda ordered as she pulled out the weapon Primus gave her.

Optimus' optics widened, his one servo moving toward her face.

"I can't lose you, sweetspark." he whispered.

"You will never lose me, mother." she said kissing Optimus on the cheek.

Suddenly letting loose with a wild battle cry, she turned and ran toward Starcrusher. The same time another femme ran out and flipped over Starcrusher knocking over Andromeda to the ground.

"I can't let you stop Starcrusher." she said, as Optimus recognized the voice.

"Mikaela Banes…?" Optimus asked as she merely glanced at him.

"**GET OUT OF MY WAY!" **Andromeda hissed.

"No, you cannot stop him, I have to do It." she replied.

"Deathstar, what the slag is wrong with you?" Starcrusher demanded, as she spun around.

"First off, my name is Mikaela Banes **NOT** Deathstar; and secondly I am not your personal property. And lastly, I am saving my friends, you big lard ass." she snarled, as she kicked him pulling out the same weapon that Andromeda held. "You won't need this one either…." she said, as she took the other weapon from Andromeda placing them together watching as they molded into one weapon.

The other Autobots arrived, as Mikaela looked up locking optics with Lightning.

"Goodbye Sam, enjoy your life with your new family I am sorry for ever hurting you, please forgive me someday." Mikaela whispered.

"Mikaela….?" Lightning said softly in a confused tone.

It was then she gave him a sad smile, and with a wild scream rammed the weapon into Starcrusher's chest.

Mikaela glanced at Andromeda her optics misting.

"This was not your destiny, live for your parents." she said, as out from her back sprang mechanical feathered wings.

Mikaela shoot into the air with Starcrusher, and activated the weapon once she was far enough away from Earth. Starcrusher wasn't able to use any of his weapons or God like powers with the weapon far enough inside him.

When the weapon went off blowing parts Starcrusher into six parts, it did the same to Mikaela destroying her completely. It was then that Primus sent the six parts of Starcrusher into all different directions never to be found again.

**(Back on Earth)**

The Autobots were still staring up at the sky; it was Optimus who broke the silence first.

"She saved our daughter's life." Optimus whispered to Barricade, who had dropped to his mate's side.

Lightning was still stunned, while actually everyone was stunned that Mikaela would do what she did. Wheelie had energon tears falling as something fell from the sky and landed by him. It was a piece of Mikaela's armor; he gently reached for the piece of armor.

"My warrior goddess…. She's gone just gone." Wheelie cried.

Andromeda who had gone back to her normal size got up, and walked toward the minicon.

"I am so sorry, Wheelie; she was very brave." Andromeda said.

"Damn straight she was, she was my warrior goddess." Wheelie said as he tried to wipe away the frustrating tears. "Fragging tears….." the little minicon grumbled as he held the piece of Mikaela's armor against his little chest. "You'll always be my warrior goddess…" Wheelie whispered.

Bumblebee whined glancing at Lightning, who merely looked shattered and confused that Mikaela did what she did.

Lightning looked at Ironhide, while he wrapped his arms around him.

"She saved Andromeda's life…" Lightning replied in a shocked tone.

"She saved me too remember, Lightning?" Bee said, as his memory banks swirled and he remembered what happened at Mission City.

**(Flashback to Mission City)**

"You have to get out of here now Mikaela." Lennox ordered.

"I'm not leaving here without Bumblebee understood." Mikaela snarled as she wrapped the chains around the Autobot scout.

Several seconds later Lennox was in her face once more.

"**GET OUT OF HERE GIRL NOW!" Lennox yelled.**

"Okay I'm going, I'm going!" she snapped.

She drove into an alley, and stopped dropped her head to the steering wheel and cried. Then looked back up and back at Bumblebee who nodded at her, a look of determination on her face now. She threw the truck in reverse and headed back toward where the battle was.

"**I'll drive you shoot!" **she ordered.

She had helped Bumblebee take out Brawl that day; she had teamed with him to do what had to be done.

**(Flashback ends)**

Everyone suddenly felt a wave of guilt and honor, that Mikaela had given her life for Andromeda's someone whom she never met.

"Could we have some sort of memorial for her?" Andromeda asked, as Optimus smiled sadly, as he grimaced from pain.

"Yes sweetspark…." Optimus replied painfully.

"We gotta get him back to base and patched up first, Ratchet he is injured very badly." Barricade said.

"The fallen…. he lives yet." Optimus mumbled.

"We'll worry about him another day, Optimus." Ironhide replied.

Optimus looked at his daughter and pulled her close.

"I love you dearly, Andromeda; you're very brave and I am proud of you." he whispered, as his brother and Starscream took hold of him.

Spitfire pulled Andromeda over to her.

"Hey we didn't get into trouble, cool huh?" Spitfire said with a snicker.

Megatron smirked hearing her.

"Oh Spitfire, guess what?" Megatron asked.

"What mom?" she asked.

"You're busted…!" Megatron exclaimed as she rolled her optics.

"What….?" she wailed.

"Oh by the way, you're grounded too." Barricade said smugly to Andromeda, whose mouth hung open shocked.

"Did you really think you weren't going to get in trouble for disobeying us?" Optimus asked, wincing from the pain in his stomach.

"But….." the two femmes started.

"Quit while you're ahead." Ratchet remarked.

Andromeda merely did as she always does rolled her optics, and crossed her arms not liking the idea of punishment. However all four younglings would find themselves in punishment, because it was a joint effort and all of them had a hand in the plot.

However things still were not settled not by long shot, once Ratchet had Optimus patched up and he got his strength back they still had the fallen, Shockwave and Soundwave to deal with.

**(New Autobot base – medical bay)**

Optimus lay sedated on a berth, while Barricade sat beside him grasping his hand tightly in his. Andromeda sat beside her father and mother both, her head bowed as energon tears fell.

She still couldn't understand why the femme everyone called Mikaela Banes would sacrifice herself for her? She didn't even know her, why would she do that? She saw her Uncle Megatron walk in; he looked worried as he glanced down at his brother.

"How is he doing?" Megatron asked.

"Better… I was able to reset the wires he lost and I patched up his armor. He was in a lot of pain, I had to sedate him." Ratchet said, as Andromeda let her hand drop over her mother's armor.

Andromeda saw how tightly her father held her mother's hand, his clawed hand never once releasing his hand.

Andromeda had a strange feeling her father was angry with her; she glanced up at him with sad optics.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked her father.

Barricade glanced down at her, and sighed with such sadness in his optics.

"You could have died Andromeda, and your mother and I would have been lost without you. We are a family, I have to deal with your mother's noble self sacrificing and now it would seem you have inherited that trait." he replied. "And by Primus, I will not lose either one of you. If that makes me selfish then so be it, I am selfish!" Barricade remarked. "Your mother is the best thing that ever happened to me, and then we had you, and it doubled our blessings." Barricade replied as she bit her bottom metal lip.

"I'm sorry, father." Andromeda whispered.

Barricade pulled their daughter closer a sigh escaping him, an all too human habit he had picked up.

"Just learn not to disobey when there is danger, alright?" Barricade said.

"Okay, it's a deal." Andromeda said, as she hugged her father tightly.

**(Outside of the medical bay)**

Wheelie was not really up for talking with anyone, he sat alone away from anyone. He didn't fight the energon tears that fell, he missed his warrior goddess. He knew he shouldn't but he resented Andromeda, his warrior goddess died because of her.

Andromeda came out of the medical bay; she saw the little minicon and went to him.

"Hi Wheelie…." she said softly.

He glared at her.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

Andromeda looked a little startled by his snappish tone.

"I…..I'm sorry about Mikaela." she whispered.

"**Don't you ever say her name!"** Wheelie yelled.

Spitfire walked up her optics shining with anger.

"You need to watch your mouth; she was the one who offered to have a memorial for her." Spitfire snarled.

Wheelie fell silent.

"I'm sorry okay, but my warrior goddess was special to me." Wheelie mumbled.

"Nobody said she wasn't, but you have to learn to be respectful; especially to a future Prime." Spitfire remarked.

"Or else what…?" Wheelie asked in a snarky tone.

Spitfire transformed her arm into a small cannon, and then smirked a rather nasty smile.

"Then I use your interface unit for target practice how's that?" Spitfire growled.

"What is it with you femmes wanting to blow up my interfacing unit, are you frustrated or something?" Wheelie snarled, as Spitfire narrowed her optics dangerously.

Then she hauled off, and belted Wheelie in the face.

"Maggot….." she mumbled repeating one of her mother's favorite words.

She grabbed her cousin by the hand, and pulled her along with her. All the while Wheelie stared at Spitfire his optics never once leaving her, until she could no longer be seen down the long hallway.

"Now that femme is **HOT**…. I think she's just been upgraded to **HOT** Warrior Princess." Wheelie mused.

**(New Autobot base – Several weeks later)**

After Optimus' healing, and then Mikaela's memorial, they tried to send a patrol to scout the Decepticon base. Optimus had figured the Fallen would move the base, and he was right. This not only frustrated Optimus, it angered him he wanted to dispose of the evil former Prime for good.

So, he had to settle for sending out patrols, this was where the Seekers came in. They were quick, and could get low enough to get a good look around place.

The one thing with Seekers they built up a lot of energy, so when Starscream and his trine returned they always would have unbridled energy. Starscream had been teasing Jolt with promised time alone; they would always spend time together though. It just wasn't the kind of quality time Jolt wanted, he wanted more physical advances and today he planned on getting it.

Starscream was surprised, when Jolt wasn't there waiting for him with some smart aft remark about his pent up energy putting it to good use.

"Where's Jolt?" Starscream asked Ironhide.

"I have no idea, Screamer." Hide replied with a smirk. "Did you check his quarters?"

Starscream gave the weapons specialist a sideways glance.

"No, but I will." was all he said.

Starscream went stomping toward Jolt's quarters, and opened the door without knocking first. The second Starscream did a lasso of electric whips hit around his body taking him off guard.

"You know Screamer; it's rude to come into someone's room without knocking." Jolt mused.

Jolt quickly got Starscream against the wall, with a hungry lust filled expression.

"You do realize Seeker; that it's also rude to excite a potential mate, and then do nothing in return?" Jolt asked.

Starscream smiled oddly.

"Really, is it really?" Starscream asked.

"Yes it is." Jolt mused, as his electric whips hit Starscream making his fans kick in.

"Oh slag….." Screamer whispered as his world swirled with all different colors and wild sparkmerging hit him like no other.

Starscream was pushed into emergency stasis from that, and he had the most loopy grin from it as well.

**(Another part of the Autobot base)**

The younglings decided the base needed to be shook up, Spitfire and Andromeda snuck into the medical bay as quietly as possible.

"Your father is going to kill you, and bring you back just to clean up the mess." Andromeda said with a giggle.

Spitfire shrugged.

"Naw no way, my mother will save me." she giggled.

"Are you nuts?" Andromeda asked finally.

"Well, that's up for debate, Andromeda." she remarked matter of factly.

The two femmes stole all of Ratchet's wrenches and hid them from him.

While Ironstrike and Dragonfly were busy putting dye into the shampoo bottles, which the human soldiers used when they used the human wash racks. The younglings were using all sorts of pranks now leaving no one alone. They figured everyone needed a good laugh to break the stressful situation.

Spitfire and Ironstrike snuck into his father and mother's quarters, they found Ironhide in deep recharge. Lightning wasn't in their quarters; he was visiting Bumblebee and Goldbug. Spitfire helped Ironstrike reconfigure his father's cannons to shoot rainbow colored bubbles. Spitfire smirked, and looked at Ironstrike with a sneaky expression on her face.

"All done, let's go." Spitfire said, as they snuck out of the room bumping into Megatron and Optimus.

"What are you two up too?" Optimus asked.

"Yes Spitfire, what'd you do now?" Megatron asked his daughter.

"Mother, I'm shocked at you, that you'd think such a thing. You too Uncle Optimus, I am so shocked you two would even think such a thing." Spitfire said as she peeked at her uncle and mother, who merely looked at each other.

"What did you do now?" they both said, as they heard yells from the humans.

"Oh wow would ya look at the time we have to go…." Spitfire started to say until Megatron picked her up.

"Where's Andromeda?" Optimus asked his niece.

"I ain't squealing and you can't make me." Spitfire remarked crossing her servos over her chest plates.

That is, until her mother gave her that look, and she wilted from fear.

"I'm not sure where she is mother, I swear." Spitfire replied.

Andromeda and Dragonfly came running up then.

"Hey Spitfire, did you finish…" Andromeda started to say until she saw her mother and Uncle Megatron. "Hey there mom, hey there Uncle Megatron….." Andromeda replied innocently.

"Do not hey there mom me, what did you do?" Optimus demanded. "And how long will it cause you to be grounded?" he asked.

"We are innocent." Dragonfly whined, as Lennox and Epps came running up with big towels wrapped around their bodies.

Of course, they had dye all over them, causing the two femmes to giggle.

"You two femmes are in trouble!" Optimus and Megatron growled.

"Hey this prank wasn't us, was it mechlings?" Spitfire mused, as Ironstrike and Dragonfly chuckled.

"You can't ground them though." Andromeda replied as her mother picked her up.

"No they can't but we can." Lightning said walking up with Bumblebee and Goldbug. "Sorry guys for whatever they did." Lightning said as he looked at Ironstrike.

It was then everyone heard Ironhide yell.

"**I AM GONNA BLAST SOMEONE…!"** Ironhide yelled, as he came out his cannons whirling to life.

"What's wrong Hide?" Lightning asked.

"Someone p…put…..well just look!" he roared, as he shot off his cannons and all that came out were rainbow colored bubbles.

Spitfire shrank back into her mother's servos at Ironhide's fury, Ironstrike felt bad too his father's cannons were his prized possessions.

"Dad, I did it…" Ironstrike whispered.

"I did too, Ironhide…Sorry." Spitfire said softly as Optimus glanced at his brother.

"I apologize for this Ironhide for my daughter's behavior; you can bet she will be punished for this." Megatron replied as glared at his daughter.

However everyone jumped when Ratchet yelled, this time Optimus glared at his daughter.

"What did you do?" he demanded of his daughter.

This time she didn't look shocked or try to deny it.

"Hid his wrenches…." she whispered.

"**WHERE ARE MY WRENCHES…!" **Ratchet yelled.

Andromeda and Spitfire couldn't help but smirk, even though they were in a lot of trouble.

Ratchet stomped out into the hallway, his optics darting to each of the younglings.

"Who dared to touch my wrenches?" he growled his optics falling toward his daughter and Andromeda automatically.

"Daddy, how are you?" Spitfire asked.

Ratchet frowned and approached his daughter.

"So let me guess, you two are the ones behind my wrenches disappearing?" he demanded.

"Well just a little bit." Andromeda answered for her cousin.

"Well, then for your punishment Spitfire you can help me straighten out the medical bay." Ratchet said.

"You can help her, Andromeda." Optimus ordered, as Barricade walked up snaking his servo around Optimus' waist.

"Awwww come on, mom." Andromeda complained.

"Do not argue with your mother." Barricade replied.

"You younglings have to find a creative outlet, some sort of hobby or something." Optimus offered.

Simmons came walking up with a couple NEST soldiers.

"Sir, we have a new arrival heading this way." the soldier said as Sunstreaker walked up.

"It seems to be an Autobot signature Optimus." Sunstreaker said.

"Who's….?" Optimus asked.

"Wheeljack…." Sunny answered.

"Okay, we will send a few out to retrieve him, so the Fallen and his army do not detect our base." Optimus ordered.

"The younglings stay here also." Megatron replied sternly.

"Don't worry I will give them plenty to do." Ratchet replied.

The younglings started to complain, until they got looks from their parents. Optimus, Sideswipe and Sunny, Ironhide and Ratchet went to retrieve Wheeljack. Starscream and his trine were watching the younglings working in the medical bay, while they worked.

"So what are we supposed to come up with for a hobby?" Spitfire mumbled as Starscream glanced at them.

"Make a music group humans do it all the time, someone plays those things called drums." he replied.

"Yeah and someone plays that thing called bass, and guitar and someone sings." Skywarp replied.

The younglings smiled at each other their optics brightening with interest.

"Yeah and Wheeljack is an inventor, so he could make the instruments for you." Thundercracker replied.

"Thanks for the ideas guys." Spitfire replied.

"Don't mention it, glad to help." Starscream said as they walked back out.

Simmons came in bumping into Starscream's leg.

"You need a little bell on you human." Starscream remarked sourly.

"You need to watch where you're going, what were you doing?" he asked.

"Helping…the younglings wanted help with a hobby and we helped them." Skywarp replied.

"What did they pick for a hobby?" Simmons asked.

"They want to start a Cybertronian version of a band." Thundercracker said, as Simmons slapped his hand over his face.

"Oh damn, there goes my ears." Simmons muttered looking toward the ceiling as the trine merely shrugged.

"What could possibly go wrong with a hobby like that?" Starscream asked. "Just make sure to let Optimus and Megatron know we gave them their idea, won't they be happy." Starscream mused as Simmons suddenly burst out in hysterics at that.

"Crazy human….." Starscream grumbled.

Simmons could only continue to laugh, oh just wait he thought until the parents learned about this one.

**(Medical bay)**

Wheelie rolled into the medical bay, his optics trained on Spitfire.

"Hey toots, whatcha doing?" Wheelie asked rolling closer to the flier.

Ironstrike narrowed his optics and stomped over to the irritating little minicon.

"Listen you, she is mine I called it first." snarled Ironstrike.

"Says who…?" demanded Wheelie.

"Leftie and righty Jr…." he snarled.

"Calm down, would you?" Wheelie remarked bitterly. "Why can't we share her, you know I have her on the weekdays; and you can have her on the weekend." Wheelie offered as Ironstrike's cannons whirled to life.

"I am going to slug you, Wheelie." Spitfire remarked.

"Now that's my warrior princess." Wheelie replied as he offlined his optics and puckered up. "Kiss me and I will behave." he answered as she transformed her arm into a small blade.

"Don't make me cut out your little interface unit, because I will if you mess with me." Spitfire growled.

"Fiery just like my warrior goddess was." Wheelie replied.

Spitfire rolled her optics and walked away.

"Oh come on, you can't blame a little mech for trying, can ya?" Wheelie mumbled.

"Fine, whatever but stop that!" Spitfire ordered.

Wheelie snickered then.

**(Several hours later)**

The younglings had finished cleaning Ratchet's medical bay, and were just hanging around the base doing nothing.

"So who's playing what instruments?" Dragonfly asked.

"I play drums." Ironstrike remarked.

"I can play bass." Dragonfly said.

"I can play guitar then." Spitfire answered.

"I guess I sing." Andromeda replied, as she turned to Wheelie. "You can play keyboard Wheelie."

Wheelie glanced at the young Prime and shrugged.

"I don't know toots." Wheelie said as Spitfire swung her sword near the little minicon's interface unit once more grinning evilly. "Slag it, okay….. Okay…..okay I give in." Wheelie mumbled.

"Good, I am such a good negotiator, ain't I?" Spitfire asked as Andromeda giggled slightly.

"Femmes can't live with them and can't live without them." Wheelie remarked as he watched the four younglings grinning at one another. "I should tell your parents on you with your outlandish behavior." Wheelie mumbled.

"While you're at it why don't you tell my mother and father you were hitting on me?" Spitfire asked causally.

"You are such a bad little femme." Wheelie mumbled.

"I know… thank you." Spitfire replied with a smirk.

"We need to talk to Wheeljack after to see if he will help us." Andromeda replied.

Wheelie snorted then.

"Just get warrior princess to threaten his interface unit like she did to Me." mumbled Wheelie.

That caused quite an uproar of laughter from the four younglings, while Wheelie just shook his head.

"Why am I always quite in the middle of conniving femmes?" Wheelie asked throwing his little servos into the air in frustration. "You're so lucky you are hot, Spitfire." Wheelie mused as Ironstrike growled at him.

"Watch it….." Ironstrike ordered.

Spitfire giggled.

"My hero…." she replied as Ironstrike winked at her.

Wheelie just grumbled at that.

"How do I get myself roped into things like this?" he asked slapping his hand over his face. "I am so not gonna live too long at this rate." Wheelie mused.

Wheelie was following Spitfire around everywhere she went; the femme went to see her father in his medical bay. When it looked like there was no one in there, she started to leave. Suddenly Wheelie had her pinned to the wall with his lip plates puckered.

"Come on toots, give me a kiss." Wheelie mused. "My little warrior princess…" Wheelie replied, just as Ratchet came out from the backroom, and Megatron came in through the door.

"Is someone there….?" Ratchet asked, as his optics landed on Wheelie.

"Hey Ratch…." Megatron started and he zeroed in on Wheelie as well.

"Oh slag…" Wheelie whispered. "I can explain really I can." Wheelie stammered.

Ratchet grabbed his nearest wrench, while Megatron snarled as his fusion cannon came whirling to life.

"Oh I am so slagged." Wheelie whispered. "Help me warrior princess please." he pleaded as she smirked.

"You're in deep trouble now….." was all she said.

Wheelie growled at her.

"That is not helping, toots; I already knew I was in trouble!" he shot back at her.

"You touched our daughter, what in your mixed up little processor makes you think we can allow you to live?" Megatron demanded with a snarl.

Wheelie screamed, and then transformed into his little vehicle mode taking off between Megatron's legs. He made it to Optimus Prime and Barricade transforming once more into robot mode.

"Prime, you have to help me, please!" Wheelie exclaimed.

"What'd you do?" Barricade asked, as Optimus couldn't help but smirk.

"What's wrong, wheelie?" Optimus asked chuckling.

Wheelie never got a chance to explain **HIS **of the truth, because both Ratchet and Megatron bellowed Wheelie's name.

"**WHEELIE…!" **Ratchet and Megatron yelled.

Optimus and Barricade both understood then, and glanced at one another.

"Being a perv…" they said together looking at Wheelie.

"You've gotta save me, Prime." Wheelie begged, as his optics were distracted by Andromeda walking up to her parents.

"Hey Mom, is Wheeljack here yet?" she asked.

"Yes dear, I just finished debriefing him of the situation; and he is picking out quarters as well as a workshop room next door." Optimus explained.

"Cool, where is Spitfire?" she asked.

"Hey toots…." Wheelie replied, winking at Andromeda who narrowed her optics at him.

Optimus glared at wheelie then, and then knelt by the minicon.

"I can see why you're getting threats on your life, Wheelie." Optimus remarked.

"Have you no shame, first he hits on me and corners me, and now he is hitting on Andromeda!" Spitfire shrieked.

"Wheelie, what is wrong with you?" Barricade demanded, as Megatron and Ratchet came up.

"Come here, Wheelie; we'd like to take you for a ride." Ratchet replied, a rather evil cackle coming from his mouth.

"No, no, no, no; I need your help, Optimus." Wheelie begged.

Optimus glanced at his CMO and brother, and then the perfect idea came to him.

::: Brother, I have an idea that might be acceptable to all in question:::::

::: Be quick about it, brother; that little maggot tests my patience::::::

:::: Let Ratchet offline his happy parts for the time being, he'll learn not to act like in the words of our daughters a perv:::::::

Megatron glared down at the little minicon then, that was the most delicious idea yet

::::: I like it:::::::

:::::: Thought you would::::::

::::: I shall let my mate know::::::

After a brief private comm to Ratchet from Megatron, the CMO cackled like an insane malfunctioning glitch. He grabbed Wheelie, who was all but screeching at this point.

"**LET ME GO…..RIGHT NOW**!" Wheelie screamed.

"You're not helping yourself, Wheelie." Barricade said, as a smirk touched his lips as Optimus commed him about the little minicon's punishment. "Oh are you in for it, it sucks to be you." Barricade said.

"What are you talking about, what's he mean, Prime?" Wheelie asked.

"I've decided your punishment, Wheelie and my word is law." Optimus said crossing his servos over his chest.

"I did nuttin wrong, you can't do this to me!" Wheelie exclaimed.

"I didn't say anything yet, you know you really need to learn to behave and shut that mouth of yours." Optimus finally said in an exasperated tone.

Silence…..

"Now, your punishment will be to have your 'fun parts' turned off for the total of 2 Earth weeks." Optimus replied.

"You've got to be kidding me, Prime; you can't do that to me." Wheelie whined.

"He can't but I can." Ratchet mused. "Come along Wheelie, time for your little operation." Ratchet cackled his optics gleaming with put on madness.

"You're all slagging glitch heads, do you know that!" Wheelie roared.

"Watch what you say….." Ratchet said in a sing song tone.

"Want to make it three weeks, Wheelie?" Optimus asked.

"You big mechs get to sparkmerge constantly and the second a little guy flirts I'm temporarily get my interface offline…..**NOT FAIR!**" He yelled.

"I could remove your interface unit…..PERMENATELY….." Ratchet growled.

"Still not fair you guys go at it every day and night since I got here." Wheelie complained as he saw the two femmes leaving. "See ya toots….." he chimed in as Ironstrike and Dragonfly also joined them.

"That is exactly why you're being punished!" Barricade yelled.

"You think you're worthy to date my daughter, she is with Ironstrike and she is also still young I do not want her sparkmerging until she is older." Megatron snarled.

"Even then only when we deem it's okay." Ratchet replied as Optimus smirked. "Even then I may not want her too, she's our sparkling and too young." Ratchet replied.

"You sparkmerge constantly and Optimus, Megatron, Lightning and Goldbug all had sparklings….." Wheelie wailed.

Optimus slapped his hand over his face in a very real human gesture.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Optimus demanded. "We have mates…..!"

"I don't know, but I know one thing I was only flirting, I wasn't going to do anything to them." he muttered.

"Regardless your punishment stays, Wheelie." Optimus said firmly as Ratchet turned heading for the medical bay.

Wheelie screamed the entire time….. Ratchet cackled the whole time, while Megatron watched with a smirk.

**(Wheeljack's quarters)**

The four younglings sat on the floor watching, as Wheeljack tried to come up with some plans for their instruments for them.

"I think I can do with for you younglings, how does your parents feel about this group idea?" he asked.

"It was my mother's idea for us to get a hobby, because we were pranking everyone, so we needed something to occupy our time." Andromeda said.

"Hmmm, alright I will get started on these right away." Wheeljack replied.

"Cool….." they exclaimed as Wheeljack smirked.

"So, you are Optimus and Barricade's daughter right Andromeda?" he asked.

"Yes that is correct." she answered.

"And you Spitfire, you are Megatron and Ratchet's little femme….Correct?" he asked.

She smiled.

"Yes, that is right." she said.

"I'm Ironhide and Lightning's mech…" Ironstrike said showing Wheeljack his cannons. "Are you feeling lucky punk…?" Ironstrike replied sounding just like his father.

Wheeljack merely chuckled at Ironstrike, and then his optics landed on little Dragonfly.

"Our little scout's youngling, who would have thought he would have found a sparkmate so quickly?" Wheeljack replied.

Dragonfly grinned at that, it seemed his father was quite the charmer with all the Autobots. Of course his mother had often said he was like his father quite often actually.

"Okay you four let me do my thing alright?" he replied, as the four little chaos causing younglings chuckled; and left his quarters looking for something to keep them occupied while Wheeljack made their instruments for them.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – Femmes and feelings

There were several explosions, which came from Wheeljack's workshop which no one batted an optic about. This was Wheeljack they were used to his projects suddenly taking a turn for the worst.

However luckily those projects that went BOOM weren't for the younglings, he had finished those for them. They were setting up the instruments and getting ready to play.

"Okay, are we ready?" Spitfire asked.

"Ready as we'll ever be." Dragonfly replied.

The younglings started to play and the saying making beautiful music together, was not describing their playing. Those sounds quickly went searching for the delicate circuitry of their parents, other bots and humans with sensitive hearing.

"What the slag is that noise?" Barricade demanded.

"I have no idea, but it feels like my audios with split in half." Optimus growled trying to cover his audios.

Megatron and Ratchet came out, along with Ironhide and Lightning as well as Bumblebee with Goldbug

"Someone is playing music….." Lightning replied.

"That's music….?" Epps demanded.

"No, I know music, that IS NOT music!" Lennox exclaimed.

"That sounds like noise to me!" Optimus remarked.

"Must find and destroy!" Ironhide grumbled his cannons coming to life.

They all headed toward the source of the noise, and found their younglings were behind it.

"Oh look, it's the youngling's surprise, surprise." mused Skids.

They stopped playing and stared at their parents; they saw everyone's expressions and cringed.

"What are you younglings doing?" Megatron demanded.

"Playing in our Cybertronian band…." Spitfire replied.

"We're doing what you told us to do, mother." Andromeda replied.

Optimus was taken back at first, and then remembered his words.

"Andromeda, I said you younglings needed a hobby but this band as you call it's…" Optimus stopped trying to find a word for it.

"Yo, it's loud and annoying….." Mudflap retorted.

Andromeda looked at her cousin then.

"Ya can't sing neither; ya need to stick to prankin." Skids remarked.

Andromeda narrowed her optics at the twins and looked at her mother and father.

"Am I really bad at singing?" she asked searching their optics for the truth.

"Andromeda, it's just this music hurts our audios; we are not use to this kind of stuff." Barricade replied.

"Alright fine no pranking, no band; maybe we should just paint ourselves invisible then so we bother anyone." Andromeda snapped as she ran off heading for her quarters.

Barricade glanced at Optimus who merely shrugged and sighed.

"No one said raising a daughter would be easy." Optimus replied.

Megatron and Ratchet sighed, when Spitfire ran after her cousin.

"Grownups are so bad sometimes!" Ironstrike growled.

"Boy, don't you dare leave without being excused." Ironhide snapped.

"I am going with my femme, father, she needs me." Ironstrike replied as he turned toward his father. "Are you okay with that?" he asked sheepishly.

"Yes, go ahead." Lightning said.

"Whose bright idea I wonder was it for them to start a band?" Goldbug asked.

"It was mine." Starscream mumbled coming over.

"**You told our younglings to start a band!"**Megatron exclaimed as Ratchet pulled a wrench out and hit Starscream with it.

"Ouch, that hurt! I thought it was a cool idea, they seemed to like it." Starscream replied.

**(Andromeda's quarters)**

Because of her close ties with Primus, Andromeda was shown by Primus in a vision of sorts about the president being in danger, and that it was a pretender in charge now. Andromeda so badly wanted to prove to the others, especially her mother she could be just like him. She told the others about the vision.

"So, what are we supposed to do with that knowledge now?" asked Dragonfly.

"We rescue the president and destroy the pretender for our parents." Andromeda said.

"I agree." Spitfire said.

"Okay, let's go." Ironstrike replied, as the four younglings took off never realizing Wheelie was hiding listening in.

**(Several minutes later)**

Wheelie rolled over to where the others were and coughed loudly, this got everyone's attention.

"What do you want Wheelie?" Optimus asked.

"Prime, I overheard something and I wasn't going to say anything at first, because all you big mechs do is be mean to me. But I don't want the younglings to get hurt so I am going to tell ya's." he said as this got everyone's attention.

"What about our youngling's?" Optimus and Barricade demanded.

"Andromeda got some kind of mental vision from Primus that the president was in danger, because there is a pretender impersonating him. They are going to save him; Andromeda wants to prove she can be like you, Prime." Wheelie replied.

"Frag it, come on, we've got to stop them if the Fallen gets wind of this; he will go after them." Optimus ordered.

The only question was would they be too late…..

**(The younglings on Spitfire)**

Spitfire grumbled.

"You know seriously you guys are just way too heavy." she complained.

"Are you calling me bulky?" Andromeda snapped.

"As humans say if the shoe fits…." Spitfire chuckled.

"You're such a comic ha – ha." Andromeda mused as they saw their target.

"How do we get in, granted we aren't our parents' sizes but we still aren't invisible." Dragonfly asked.

Spitfire landed and transformed, after everyone got off of her.

"Hmmm, this may be tricky." Spitfire replied.

"Is there only one pretender?" Ironstrike asked.

"Yeah, why…?" Andromeda asked.

"John Keller, let's find him, he will help us." Ironstrike replied.

The others nodded and went to find John Keller, Spitfire and Andromeda had called John Keller and explained the situation to him.

He appeared shortly thereafter, the expression on his face a worried one.

"I thought there was something wrong with him, because of how he was treating your parents." Keller replied. "Okay, let's…." Keller was interrupted by the ground trembling as the Fallen appeared with his army.

Spitfire and Andromeda stood in front of Keller to protect him, Ironstrike's cannons activated and Dragonfly activated his blaster. The Fallen snarled his optics trained only one…Andromeda.

"You little Prime….are dead." he growled.

"**STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER, CON**!" Optimus snarled, as he swooped down like an avenging angel taking the fallen in his servos and slamming him against the ground. "

"My army **ATTACK!"** the fallen exclaimed as the many drones turned and started fighting.

However what the Fallen didn't expect was for Shockwave and Soundwave to turn and start killing his army.

"YOU FOOLS, **WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"** he demanded.

"Taking care of business, we are loyal to Megatron and now Optimus Prime." Shockwave merely said, as he took out more of the drones.

Optimus never took his optics off of the fallen.

"This war is over your lies and corruption you filled into the others has died just like you will do again." Optimus snarled. "Only this time, **STAY DEAD….!" **Optimus snarled.

"You are a fool Optimus Prime; I will take you with Me." the fallen hissed as he kicked Optimus in the chest loosening his hold on the fallen.

The fallen stabbed his spear into Optimus' chest missing his spark by inches, when Optimus thinking on his feet moved in time. However he still wasn't able to miss the painful blow, he laid on the ground injured badly.

"Now I will finish you." the fallen hissed.

Megatron was on the fallen protecting his younger brother within seconds, as Megatron fought the fallen; there was almost an eerie glow around Megatron. Megatron snarled and used his blade smashing it inside of the Fallen's spark chamber.

"No one touches my brother….. No one you slagging scrap heap." Megatron snarled.

The Fallen's optics widened in confusion; he did not understand how Megatron was able to defeat him.

"H…..How….?" the fallen demanded falling to the ground.

The fallen went offline before any explanations could be given, however none of the adults had noticed in the all the confusion the younglings had gone after the pretender.

**(The room where president is being held)**

Spitfire and Andromeda were untying the real president, while Ironstrike and dragonfly watched the door not realizing the pretender was already inside.

"We've come to rescue you, Mr. President." Spitfire replied.

"Yeah come on; let's get out of h…..here….." Andromeda's words stopped as a blade went through her chest her spark exploding.

"**ANDROMEDA…!" **Spitfire exclaimed. "**You killed my cousin, you pit spawned piece of scrap metal!"** Spitfire wailed, as she lunged for the pretender only to find she herself to be impaled on another blade through her spark.

The pretender laughed, and threw their bodies on the floor; Ironstrike and Dragonfly came rushing in seeing their femmes lying offline all logic drowned right then and there.

"You're dead…."was all Ironstrike could say, as his cannons let loose leaving nothing left of the pretender.

The president could only stare in shock at the bodies of the two femmes; they had come to save him only to give their lives in the end. Ironstrike picked up Spitfire's body, while Dragonfly picked up Andromeda's; and they walked out of the building with the president following them.

However when Optimus and Barricade, Megatron and Ratchet had seen their daughters were offline nothing could prepare the mechs for the overwhelming feeling of loss.

Dragonfly handed Optimus and Barricade their daughter, neither bot could help but feel the emotions slam into their sparks.

"T….They died saving Me." the president whispered.

Megatron had forgotten about wanting an explanation, why he was able to kill the fallen. He and Ratchet lost their daughter and nothing would ever be the same again now.

No one but the president, John Keller and General Morshower saw something on the small Allspark glowing. The three men walked up to Optimus who was beside himself with grief, while Barricade held his mate.

The men tried to talk to the heartbroken leader, but nothing seemed to snap him out of his loss. They went to Bumblebee who was holding his little mech whom was crying very hard.

"Bumblebee, why is Lightning's arm glowing where the little Allspark is?" Morshower asked.

The scout went over to Lightning and saw different symbols lighting up, Bumblebee not understanding the language of the Primes merely frowned.

"What's does this mean different symbols are lighting up?" Bumblebee asked.

"It means a sacrifice must be taken….." a female voice said as everyone turned hearing the familiar voice of Mikaela Banes, but in her human form.

"Mikaela…?" Lightning said in a puzzled tone.

She smiled.

"Hi Sam, see still can't get rid of me that easily." she said with a smile as Wheelie rolled up.

"Warrior goddess, your back?" he asked.

"No Wheelie, just visiting." she said walking up to Optimus and Megatron. "Our human God and your Cybertronian God work many miracles; sometimes with some sacrifices. Megatron you were given the power of being a Prime for destroying the fallen and saving your brother….."

"I don't care about being a Prime, what good is that when younglings are dead?" he demanded.

Mikaela looked sad for a moment.

Everyone watched on in silent horror, as Megatron the feared warlord of the Decepticons broke down and cried energon tears.

"I would give up anything for Optimus' little femme to spared." Megatron simply said.

"I would do the same for you, brother; so you'd have your daughter back." Optimus whispered, as everyone saw Optimus' chest wound healing as Megatron pulled him close holding him.

"This Allspark can grant life once…." Mikaela said she stopped talking as if someone were talking to her, she stepped back and another figure blurry appeared splashed in a ray of golden light.

"Your mechs have chosen to sacrifice Cybertron for the return of the younglings, one youngling by the small Allspark and one brought back by me…. Primus." he replied with a boom in his voice.

Andromeda's chest healed and her optics onlined, while Spitfire onlined as well.

Primus disappeared, only Mikaela remained there smiling.

"You prayed for Megatron's daughter to be returned, while Megatron prayed for the return of your daughter, Optimus…Selfless deeds." Mikaela said as Ratchet realized what happened.

"This was a test to prove he changed to see if he would do the right thing?" Ratchet asked.

"Yes, it was, one that I am happy to say, you passed with flying colors." Mikaela said as she started to fade.

"**WAIT…!" **Wheelie cried as Mikaela waited.

"What is it, wheelie?" she asked.

"Take me with you, please; I don't belong here let me go with you…..Please warrior goddess." Wheelie begged.

"Alright, come on; but behave okay?" Mikaela said opening her arms, as the little minicon rolled up and wrapped his arms around her leg.

"Hey Warrior goddess, do me a favor for old times' sake?" he asked.

"What…" she asked as he looked at Optimus and Megatron grinning evilly while he humped her leg.

"**SAY MY NAME, SAY MY NAME…"** he begged, as they both disappeared.

Optimus and Barricade grabbed their daughter tightly tears falling as their faces as they held her, Megatron and Ratchet held Spitfire too tightly.

"The tiny Allspark is gone from Lightning's wrist…" Sideswipe replied as his twin smacked his aft. "Hey watch it!"

"Don't worry I am." Sunny remarked wickedly.

"You all give up Cybertron for us?" Spitfire and Andromeda asked.

"Sure why not you two are much more important." Jolt and Starscream said.

The president coughed suddenly.

"You Autobots and ex- Decepticons are hereby deemed permanent guardians and residents of the planet Earth." he said as they cheered.

Starscream and his trine grabbed their humans, and tossed them into the air and caught them.

Ironhide walked up to Optimus smiling.

"You did it, you ended the war." Ironhide said.

Optimus pulled his brother closer against his body, and smiled.

"No, we all did." he said.

"And to celebrate I say we party!" Lennox exclaimed in a loopy tone from being tossed into the air.

**(Later that night)**

Spitfire, Andromeda, Dragonfly and Ironstrike's band played for the party, Ironhide sat on one of the transformer size chairs sipping high grade energon.

"You know they're rather good." Wheeljack remarked as everyone gave him an odd look.

"You always were tone deaf." Ratchet retorted as Ironstrike pounded the drums and Ironhide had a silly look on his face.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Bumblebee asked finally.

Silence….

"What's wrong with him?" Goldbug asked as everyone glanced at Lightning then.

"He turned his audios off….." Lightning mused. "He'll put them back on when I give him the signal." he replied as everyone laughed at that.

With the war over and the fractions finally together after long horrible battles leaving both sides lost. Optimus and his family could relax and the other bots could get on with their families as well and lives the way they were meant too without fear of death. The Cybertronians taught the humans how to keep their planet healthy as well and tried to solve problems with war, which helped settle many things after as they all lived together as one learning from each other.


End file.
